Odyssey Angels in the News



Meet the Odyssey Angels Maranda, WOTV
Fifteen girls from various Odyssey of the Mind teams in the area were gathering in the summer of 2013 to work on skill development, when they realized their talents could be useful in ways beyond their Odyssey of the Mind problem solving competitions. Read More

Girls win big playing mind games Phil Witt, FOX 4 News
“I thought it was really cool because we are changing so many lives by just doing one little small deed,” says team member Julie Clarkson. “And if everyone did it then they could change as many lives as we did.” With that blanket project for foster kids, the girls were named the top Odyssey Angels team in the world. Read More

Giving kids something to hold: Kansas girls' blanket project wins national recognition Joe Robertson, The Kansas City Star
Tammy Spears knew these 10- to 12-year-old girls in suburban Kansas City were onto something.She might not have seen the international award coming their way, or the video putting their mission for foster and adopted children on display before a crowd of 17,000 in a Michigan arena.But she knew something good was up last August, when their idea was just hatching. Read More

Students at Bonita Middle win music grant from Rack Room Wink News Now
An Odyssey Angel team created a music video and entered it into a contest to win a music grant for its school. "It's important to get better instruments and make the school sound better," says team member Bradley Mell. "And give the school a better reputation."  Read More

Pinetree secondary students join The Push for Change Diane Strandberg, The Tri-City News
A group of Pinetree secondary students who are members of the creative problem-solving group Odyssey Angels have designed a light-weight, ergonomic shopping cart that will be a symbol of hope for thousands of at risk-youth across Canada. "This is such a wonderful opportunity," said Elaina Liang, a Grade 10 student on the Odyssey Angels team. "We're helping youth like ourselves who are maybe not as fortunate." Read More


In the Band: Jens' Story Steven J. Bachrach, MD, kidshealth.org
Did you ever make someone's dream come true? Middle school students Nathan Ahmed and Nick Garcia did. Read more


Students give a helping hand By Esther Avila, The Porterville Recorder
When it comes to having fun, 9-year-old Matthew Lane is just like any other third-grader at Burton Elementary School. He loves to ride his bicycle, hang out with friends and play video games. But there are some obvious differences. Matthew was born with only one leg and no hands. But thanks to six students from Burton Middle School, that has changed. The “Odyssey of the Mind” problem-solving team put their minds to work, came up with a plan for some engineering robotics and built Matthew prosthetic hands. Read More

Odyssey of the Mind students reinvent the drum set Sarah de Crescenzo, The Porterville Recorder
Eight Odyssey of the Mind club students at Summit Charter Academy, Redwood, have spent the past month brainstorming, building and finally surprising their peer and long-time friend with a drum set equipped with a special stick with a eraser-sized black button with which she can trigger the bass drum pedal. This enables their friend, who suffers from spina bifida, to play the drum. “[The students are] realizing that true strength is when you reach down to help someone else up,” McNutt said. Read More