Belvedere students heading to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals

The Belvedere Elementary School Odyssey of the Mind team will compete in the World Finals next month.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international program for students in kindergarten through college that focuses on creative problem-solving through teamwork. Students complete projects ranging from building mechanical devices to their own interpretation of literary classics.

Belvedere fourth and fifth-graders – Sara K., Liliana I., Marley T., Campbell A., AJ F., and Peter S. – are going to the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Michigan State University in East Lansing, May 20-23, along with more than 800 teams from all over the world.

The Belvedere team won first place at a regional competition in March
and second place at the Virginia state competition April 18, with their
creative approach to performing an eight-minute skit centered on the
myth of Pandora’s Box and solving a “spontaneous problem. The team members and their coach, Eric Kaufman, have put in many extra hours after school to prepare for the competitions.

Belvedere parents are seeking support from the public to help raise funds for the trip to the World Finals. Donations can be made on the Go Fund Me website.