June 26, 2018

An Acton Elementary School team competed in the World Finals of the Odyssey of the Mind competition on May 23-26, 2018, at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

The team – which included students Gage Archer, Michael Kracy, Elise Mikulskis, Elliott Roe, Grant Rogers, Aiden Vandever, and Kannon Ward – participated in the Division I competition for Problem 5 “A Stellar Hangout” among others from public and private schools around the United States and other countries, including China and Singapore.  Coaching the students were teachers Shanna McPherson and Laurelea Bigham.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.  Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics.  They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and world level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.

The squad placed first at the state-level event on April 13-14 in Houston.

Pictured are (left to right) Aiden Vandever, Elliott Roe, Michael Kracy, Kannon Ward, Elise Mikulskis, and Grant Rogers.  Not pictured is Gage Archer.