Salvation Army team qualifies for state competition in Odyssey of the Mind
A Washington Salvation Army team has advanced to the state finals of the Odyssey of the Mind after placing second at the Western Pennsylvania Odyssey of the Mind Regional Competition at Keystone Oaks School District.
The team will compete in the state finals at Lock Haven University on April 1.
During the competition, teams are given short- and long-term problems that require unique, realistic solutions.
Short-term problems require on-the-spot solutions, which encourage students to think quickly on their feet and build self-confidence in their abilities.
The long-term problems require teams to work together to solve a common problem within the eight-minute time limit. It emphasizes collaboration, time management and creativity.
The team members, Addelle Hollowood, Mark Gowman, Gabe Gowman, Dottie Atkins and Ashley Imhoff, competed in Division III and worked on the “Where’s The Structure” problem, where teams were tasked with design and building a structure made of only balsa wood and glue that balances and holds as much weight as possible.
“We were super proud of them. This is the first year we’ve had any teams, and they did a great job,” said Capt. Amber Imhoff, one of the team’s coaches. “Only one of the team members had competed in Odyssey of the Mind before, so it was new to most of them.”
The Washington Salvation Army had four teams participate in the regional competition.