WESTERN PA
Odyssey of the Mind
coordinators
Welcome Coordinators to Odyssey of the Mind!
THANK YOU! for representing your organization to bring this enriching educational program to your community. We are here to help you. Please contact us if you need assistance. We are here to help your program thrive, so... LET'S GET STARTED!
Top 10 things you can do as a Coordinator.
1. Purchase a National Membership This gives your group access to the full Odyssey problems. Your teams can now begin to organize and solve the problem. It also gives you access to the National Site, odysseyofthemind.com, where you can register for the regional competition and use links to reach Odyssey information.
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2. Help your organization form teams Every group does Odyssey differently. You may be asked to gather all the interested parents and students into groups, to recruit coaches and to form teams.
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3. Forward communications from the Regional Directors to your coaches and parents. We won't officially know who this year's coaches are until they register their teams, often not until December. But we have many things to say to Coaches before then. We appreciate it when Coordinators can forward our emails to their coaches - and parents too when needed!
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4. Encourage your coaches to attend training Our sessions are for novice to advanced coaches and they are taught by experienced WPA coaches.
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5. Attend our Coordinator Round Table discussion Help improve the Odyssey experience at your organization by sharing ideas with other coordinators.
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6. Set up team or coach training experiences within your organization Perhaps organize a Round Robin day where teams rotate to different station to learn acting, building, style, or mechanics to name a few ideas. Or coordinate a monthly Coach Round Table where ideas can be shared and issues discussed.
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7. Remind coaches of Regional & National deadlines From training registrations to clarifications inquiries, there are a lot of deadlines coaches need to be aware of. A little reminder from someone who understands the big picture is always a help.
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8. Help your teams secure judges and volunteers Many teams may have trouble getting the required judges and volunteers. They may also be caught off guard with providing judges for States. Help coaches understand the requirements a head of time, to help avert any team penalties.
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9. Help teams brainstorm and organize fundraisers or donation requests Some teams have their costs covered by their organization, others do not. and may need help generating ideas for funding.
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10. Be sure to root for your teams, appreciate your coaches and volunteers, and HAVE FUN! There's a lot to learn from the Odyssey of the Mind program - even when you're not an OMer!
Coordinator Resources
Monthly Round Table NOTES
Link to NOTES from our monthly Zoom trainings and discussions with coaches, coordinators & judges to be updated & get support throughout the year! For upcoming dates & link, see Events Tab.
Team & Coordinator SAMPLE Timelines
Link to Google slides for a sample Team Timeframe and sample Coordinator Checklist. To be used as a guide and tool as you start your Odyssey journey. Each team/coordinator will have unique needs. Updated throughout the year.