Odyssey Academy (FREE Video Series)

Illinois Odyssey of the Mind created Odyssey Academy, a free series of videos designed to introduce students, parents, teachers and coaches to Odyssey of the Mind and guide them through the Odyssey of the Mind experience. A huge thank you to Illinois OotM for allowing us to share these fantastic videos with our region's Omers.

Here’s what Illinois OotM has to say about the videos and why they were created:

What if you had a series of videos that guided you and your children/students through Odyssey of the Mind?
Now you do...

So, here's the common refrain we often hear from parents and teachers looking to start Odyssey of the Mind:

"I *know* OM sounds like an amazing program, and I want my child to participate, but I don't know how to get started or what to do once we start?!"

Well, have we got a solution for you! Odyssey Academy is a free, 15-lesson online experience that walks you and your children/students through the Odyssey of the Mind (OM) program from A to Z! Whether you watch one video a week for 15 weeks or work on a different schedule, Odyssey Academy is designed to "coach" brand new teams and returning teams through the OM process so that, by the end of the series, your child/student will have a complete OM project they did entirely on their own!

HOW IT WORKS:

You join Odyssey of the Mind ( www.odysseyofthemind.com) to receive the program materials for the current academic year. Although most students compete as a team (with friends from school or siblings), your child can solve a problem on his/her own. A team only needs one membership (that covers the entire team) :)
You watch the Odyssey Academy videos beginning with Lesson 1. There are 15 lessons in total. Watching one video a week would equal one full semester in a traditional school year. This should keep students plenty busy with learning!
Your child/student will learn what OM is all about from the videos and will work on solving their selected problem throughout the 15 weeks using the tools and skills they have acquired from watching the videos.
Think of OM like a weekly extra-curricular activity that complements traditional school coursework. On their Odyssey, your child/student will learn science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM), as well as important life skills like creativity, teamwork, problem solving, divergent thinking, and much, much more!
If they want to, your child/student can submit his/her OM problem solution for competition (in-person, if possible, or virtually online) in April 2021!

That's it! Our goal is to help busy parents and teachers provide the world-renowned OM program to their children and students during this unprecedented time. Students can watch the videos on their own and complete the program and/or you can watch the videos and coach them along the way, as well! With over six hours of videos and lots of new skills, tools, and examples, *everyone* can learn how to participate in OM and solve his/her selected OM problem!

Lesson 1: What is OM?