March 27, 2020

Odyssey of the Mind has encouraged students for more than 40 years to think beyond the box…and now is our time to put that attitude into action! We will not allow an Odyssey season to go past without teams getting to perform their wonderful solutions and all their hard work to be recognized. World Finals 2020 is still happening— virtually. Learn more here.

March 12, 2020

We’ve received many announcements that arrived with great sadness regarding the postponement or cancellation of numerous regional and state Odyssey of the Mind tournaments. We would like to update you with regard to the Odyssey of the Mind 2020 World Finals at Iowa State University. Planning is still underway at Odyssey HQ. The staff of Iowa State University are hard at work ensuring the cleanest, safest campus environment possible. They are extending their Spring break to do this. Meanwhile, the Odyssey HQ staff is diligently monitoring the situation pertaining to COVID-19. We understand that there is a lot of fear surrounding the health and safety of everyone who participates in Odyssey tournaments, whether they are team members, coaches, or volunteers. We remain hopeful that the mitigation plans put in place by organizations and governments around the world will enable safe gatherings and travel for late May.

Odyssey HQ is also putting our organization’s collective creative problem-solving skills to work by evaluating ways to allow teams to be able to perform the solutions they’ve worked so hard to create. If a solution is established, this will allow teams to advance to World Finals in the fairest way possible, ensuring that the effort in creating solutions to our long-term problems is not lost. We are hoping to be able to provide an unforgettable experience at World Finals as usual.

Any and all updates regarding this situation and World Finals will be published on our website, through our social media, and sent to our state associations.

Odyssey of the Mind is a problem-solving program and we will find solutions.


March 9, 2020

Dear Odyssey of the Mind Friends and Family – we are following CDC guidelines and are taking all necessary measures to ensure safe competitions throughout the Spring. With continued luck, World Finals will take place as scheduled. We will add janitorial staff and supplies as needed. Sadly, some of our international friends will not be attending due to the Coronavirus COVID-19.

We share your concerns about the virus and are monitoring the situation closely. Please check back here for future updates.