Odyssey of the Mind was founded by Dr. Sam Micklus in 1978 at
Glassboro State College (now Rowan University). The first
competition, known as "Olympics of the Mind", involved teams from
28 New Jersey schools. Today, competitions involve thousands of teams
from schools throughout the United States and around the world.
Odyssey of the Mind offers a three-tiered journey of creativity and
competition. Teams begin their adventure at the regional level, where PA is
divided into six regions: East Central, North Central, Northeast, Southeast,
West Central, and Western PA. Each region hosts a tournament, sending
the top two teams from each problem and division to the PA State Finals.
From there, the competition heats up, as first and second place teams earn
the honor of advancing to the prestigious World Finals—an international
celebration of innovation and teamwork. Here, U.S. teams meet their creative
counterparts from across the globe, including Canada, Germany, China, Japan,
Poland, Singapore, and South Korea. The World Finals alternate annually
between two college campuses: Michigan State University in Lansing, MI, and
Iowa State University in Ames, IA. North Penn teams have proudly left their
mark on this global stage, continuing a tradition of excellence and imagination.
[Link to NPSD History of OM World Finals]
In 2025, twenty-six teams from fifteen different NPSD schools participated in
the SEPA OM tournament on Saturday, March 1st at Temple Ambler. On these
teams were 169 North Penn students, ranging from kindergartners to seniors,
coached by 45 parent volunteers. These students attend the following schools:
Bridle Path ES, Gwyn Nor ES, Gwynedd Square ES, Hatfield ES, Inglewood ES,
Montgomery ES, Nash ES, North Wales ES, Oak Park ES, Walton Farm ES,
York Avenue ES, Pennbrook MS, Penndale MS, Pennfield MS and North Penn HS.
Thirteen teams advanced to the State Finals on Saturday, April 5th on the campus
of Pocono Mountain School District in Swiftwater, PA. And two teams advanced to
the World Finals held at Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan. At WF, our
North Penn teams competed against teams from the United States and around the
world, including China, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, and Poland. Montgomery's D1 balsa
structure team placed 8th/51. Montgomery's D2 balsa structure team placed 12th/41.
Congratulations to these two phenomenal teams and their dedicated coaches!
Montgomery Balsa Structure D1Team Montgomery Balsa Structure D2Team
MG Balsa Structure D2 team at 2025 World Finals, Michigan State University
MG Balsa Structure D1 team at World Finals
