NORTHGATE ODYSSEY

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, 15202-3005 United States

Mission Statement

To provide educational support to Northgate School District students by developing their creativity, divergent thinking, and problem-solving skills through Odyssey of the Mind as a free program.

About This Cause

Northgate Odyssey is a community non-profit that partners with the Northgate School District - just outside the city limits of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - to bring Odyssey of the Mind (OM) to district students as a free, after-school program. It was created by a group of parents who wanted to bring OM to the district, but budget constraints in our small, economically disadvantaged district became an obstacle. As a solution, Northgate Odyssey was born to fund and administer OM in partnership with the district, which embraced it as a school-sponsored activity. Odyssey of the Mind is an international creativity competition. Through our programming, kids learn a constellation of skills they will carry with them through life. In addition to storytelling and technical skills of construction, they learn teamwork, time management, budgeting, and public speaking. In sum, they learn to solve problems and to be confident in their efforts. Northgate Odyssey currently offers OM teams to students in grades 1-8 and will expand to include the high school beginning in 2025. The program is currently in 3 district schools (2 elementary and 1 middle) and will be in all 4 next year. Teams of up to seven kids work to solve a long-term, open-ended problem designed to showcase their creativity and teamwork. All parts of their solution must be team-created from the ideas to the script to the set and props, and everything in between. No outside help is allowed. The team is shepherded by a parent/community volunteer coach. Teams compete in a regional competition in March. Top teams advance to the State Finals and winners there move on to the World Finals, which has a field of international teams.

NORTHGATE ODYSSEY
117 Beaver Ave
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania 15202-3005
United States
Phone 906-250-7291
Unique Identifier 881338252