Long Beach teams lead in mindful Odyssey

Two teams of students in the Long Beach School District’s Learning Activities for Raising Creativity (LARC) program took first place in the regional Odyssey of the Mind (OM) competition. Their winning performance earned them a coveted spot in the state finals in Binghamton. A third team finished in second place. This is the 13th year in a row that a Long Beach OM team has qualified for states.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides students with opportunities to apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and international level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from approximately 25 other countries participate in the program.

One team solved a problem called “Nature Trail,” in which students had to build a vehicle that travels around a trail and encounters several obstacles. In a challenge titled “Discovered Treasures,” the other team had to discover an ancient artifact and explain its use while incorporating various theatrical styles into the performance. They then had to return to the future and discover a similar structure that exists today. The second-place team solved a problem called “Food Court,” presenting a humorous performance about a food that is accused of being unhealthy. In an added twist, they had to create a jury that could not be portrayed by team members.  

  Students worked under the direction of LARC teachers Beverlee Bertinetti and Caitlin Fuentes.