Education
Local Students Conquer Competition at International Problem Solving Contest
Back at it again, seven girls from Peachtree Corners recently participated in the 2023 Odyssey of the Mind World Finals held at Michigan State University, competing against teams from across the globe.
After winning at the state level, these girls represented Peachtree Corners as shining examples of the innovative and creative young minds that Peachtree Corners has to offer.
The Paul Duke STEM High School (PDS HS) Odyssey of the Mind team includes Elisa Banks, Emma Betteridge, Addie Ebert and Claire Ott, all sophomores at Paul Duke HS, as well as Kylie Dommert and Molly Ellner, sophomores at Norcross High School (HS), and Sophia Dommert, an 8th grader at Pinckneyville Middle School.
Molly Ellner, a team member who has competed in the Odyssey of the Mind team for the past five years, said she has learned how to apply creative thinking and teamwork skills through Odyssey of the Mind.
“I love seeing how the best version of each team member’s ideas works together to create our unique solution,” said Ellner.
Sharpening minds
Odyssey of the Mind is an organization that encourages originality and ingenuity among its participating students. Founded over 40 years ago by Dr. C. Samuel Micklus, it has become a leading force in creative education, fostering learning internationally for the past 30 years.
The organization’s mission, as expressed by its founder, is to promote creative problem-solving in a fun environment that tasks students to solve challenging problems with the highest levels of innovation. Participants in the program learn how to think and express themselves through teamwork without the fear of criticism.
Every year, students showcase their problem-solving skills during the State and World Finals. Students choose from five problems to solve, and each team is evaluated based on long-term problem-solving, style and spontaneous problem-solving.
This year, the group continued to grow their skills. “We approached our problem with group brainstorming and research,” said Ellner. “As a team, we compiled our favorite ideas and almost fit them together like a puzzle to draft our final solution.”
This year’s World Finals at Michigan State University hosted 749 teams from across the globe, including teams from China, Korea, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Thailand, Singapore and Japan, as well as teams from across the United States.
Another successful year
The seven girls, representing NHS and PDS HS under the sponsor school of Paul Duke, competed in Division Three and tackled “Problem #5 The Most Dramatic Problem Ever!!!” coached by Lisa Dommert.
One of Dommert’s favorite parts of being their coach is seeing how the girls create an outstanding performance, “something magical,” from a simple prompt.
“Each year I think they can’t outdo the year before, and each year they do,” said Dommert. “They are an amazing group of girls, and it has been an honor to coach them.”
The girls’ efforts paid off when they were awarded first place in a tie with William A. Hough HS from Cornelius, NC, during the Awards Ceremony on May 27.
This success is not a one-time occurrence for team members Kylie, Sophia, Claire, Elisa, Molly, Addie and Emma. They have continuously placed first in Georgia and have won several first-place wins in the World Finals.
Learn more about the Paul Duke STEM High School Odyssey of the Mind team at performance-pc.info/PeachtreeCorners.
