SWIFTWATER, PA — Eight teams from the Delaware Valley and Pocono Mountain School Districts are headed to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals.

The students qualified for the international creative problem-solving competition after superior performances at the Pennsylvania State Finals presented by Juniata College on April 6.

“Our extracurricular program is all about nurturing STEM skills—and we add an ‘A’ to include the arts alongside science, technology, engineering, and math,” said Ryan Balton, volunteer fundraising and public relations director. “Odyssey of the Mind encourages students to think ‘beyond’ the box while developing these skills to use in the classroom, in college, in the workplace, and in their day-to-day lives.” 

Students worked together all school year to create their solutions to one of the OM problems, within specific guidelines and budget. Their presentations were judged by volunteers from across the state at the tournament hosted at the Pocono Mountain School District’s East Campus.

NEPA teams had an exemplary showing in Problem 2, AI Tech-NO-Art, presented by Sanofi. Tasked with creating an AI-like technical device that determined whether or not the team’s artwork was “beautiful,” Delaware Valley Middle School placed first, and DV Elementary and Pocono Mountain West High School each placed second in their respective age divisions.

In Problem 3, Opening Night Antics, students from Pocono Mountain East Jr. High School took first place for recreating a play based on a classic story, with several team-created twists of what could go wrong. DV Elementary and High School both earned first place in Problem 4, Deep Space Structure, presented by Sanofi. The students created balsa wood structures and tested their strength with barbell weights. The elementary team held 805 pounds on their 18-gram structure. The high school held a world record-setting 1,420 pounds on their 15-gram structure—1,045 of which counted within the scored eight-minute time limit.

DV High School earned first and Pocono Mountain East Junior High School earned second place in Problem 5, Rocking World Detour, presented by the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau. The teams created performances about a touring rock band transported to an unexpected location.

These top finishers will compete at OM World Finals at Iowa State University from May 21 to 24. They will meet up with the top teams from across the United States and countries such as Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, and South Korea. 

“We’re very proud of all the OMers from our region who competed at State Finals,” said Balton, the PR director. “And we’re extremely grateful for all of the coaches and volunteers who make their educational journeys possible—along with our presenting state finals sponsor Juniata College, and our problem sponsors Sanofi and the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau—for supporting our students.”

PA Odyssey of the Mind is presented by the entirely volunteer nonprofit organization Creativity Unlimited in Pennsylvania. Educators and parents interested in starting a team can find out more about the Jumpstart Grant program, which covers the first year of expenses, at paodyssey.com/grants.

For more information about Northeast Pennsylvania Odyssey of the Mind, visit www.nepaootm.com.