Wisconsin Odyssey of the Mind receives Consolidated Papers Foundation grant

Wisconsin Odyssey of the Mind (OM), headquartered at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, has received a $13,250 grant from Consolidated Papers Foundation, Inc. The grant will fund the daylong coaches’ training workshops held at five sites throughout Wisconsin, including UWSP.

Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving program for K-12 students as well as college students. Forty-eight states and 36 countries have chartered OM associations. It is the fastest growing academic competition in the world, according to Patricia Schoonover, Wisconsin’s OM Association director.

Wisconsin’s competition is the seventh largest in the world, with more than 12,000 students participating. Teams may have no more than seven students and may have one or more coaches. More than 2,000 coaches take part in OM’s statewide competition. Coaches may choose to attend the beginning, intermediate or advanced level of training, depending on his/her coaching experience.

UWSP’s School of Education, involved with OM since 1982, will host the annual state competition on campus on April 17, 1999. As in other years, UWSP students, many who are majoring in education or are former OM participants, volunteer as coaches or judges for the competition. Numerous faculty and staff also offer to judge the regional and state competitions.

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