Welcome to another Odyssey of the Mind season. By now, many teams have selected their problem and have begun developing a solution, but there's still plenty of time left fore the first round of tournaments. We look forward to seeing the wonderfully creative solutions these imaginative teams come up with. When we write the problems, we naturally conjure up images of possible solutions. When we attend tournaments, we are in awe of the many different solutions – and usually none are what we imagined! We look forward to visiting several state and country tournaments this year and, surely, we’ll be amazed once again. You’d think we’d be used to the surprises by now, but when you’re dealing with some of the most cre ative minds in the universe, you come to expect the unexpected.

   The Odyssey of the Mind keeps growing stronger. We’re proud to welcome our newly formed associations in the countries of Argentina and Egypt, and look forward to more countries coming on board.

   NASA has pledged a three-year sponsorship. This year's NASA-sponsored problem, A Scene From Above, is sure to be popular. It combines earth science with technology and humor — quite a combination. In addition to sponsoring a long-term problem, NASA provides a special Web site for Odyssey teams and curriculum activities for use in the classroom.

   We hear often from team members, coaches and volunteers about how kids benefit from Odyssey of the Mind. They use their minds in ways that they never imagined. It's a good feeling to know that, every year, more and more kids are learning to solve problems using creativity. Our future is in good hands.