Girl Scout Troop 1482 team makes Odyssey of the Mind World Finals
The First Town in the First State can now add another “first” to its name - it’s home to the first Girl Scout Odyssey of the Mind team in Delaware history to go to the OM World Finals.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program for students from kindergarten through college that has been in existence since 1978. The core principles of OM include creative problem-solving, teamwork, healthy competition and most importantly, fun. Team members apply their creativity and intelligence to solve problems ranging 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 levels.
The Girl Scout team, nicknamed Team Loophole, competed March 2 in Problem 3 at Delaware’s Bay Region tournament against 12 other teams in the middle school division. The girls placed first, missing a perfect score by a third of a point. They advanced to the next level and competed March 23 in the State Finals against six other teams. They again placed first, this time just four points away from a perfect score. They now are among the 35 teams from Delaware going to the OM World Finals in Michigan May 22-25.
Team Loophole is sponsored by Girl Scout Troop 1482. Members include Erin Gallagher, Hannah Lowe, Athena Malecdan, Mia Moshier and Lauren Thornberg. The coach is Rebecca Lowe, who also is the troop leader. “Odyssey of the Mind is a perfect fit for Girl Scouts,” said Lowe. “The mission of the Girl Scouts is building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. As a result, these girls know about working together, supporting each other and thinking through different ways to solve a problem. OM builds upon these skills and gives these young women an opportunity to showcase their abilities.”
More than 800 teams from across the United States and around the world will compete in the OM World Finals. Team Loophole is looking for donations to help offset the $4,200 it will cost to attend the tournament. Donations may be made out to Troop 1482 and sent to 7 Drake Knoll, Lewes, DE 19958.
