Registrations for Primary Division (2nd grade) will reopen on November 18. If you registered in September, you do not need to register again – we will remember your child’s registration.
Primary season will run from mid-January to mid-March. Throughout the season, teams will meet weekly to work on their long-term-problem solution and practice spontaneous problems. The season culminates in a Showcase where all teams will present their solutions to their parents and other Collingswood OM members.
We are also looking for additional coaches. The way you can guarantee your kid gets assigned to a team is to volunteer as a coach! As a coach, you can set your own practice schedule that works for you and your team. While being a coach is a commitment, it is also very rewarding. It's a great program, and there is a lot of support from other coaches in Collingswood. Please email Brian Sidharta ([email protected]) if you are interested in discussing the possibility of coaching a Primary team.
Registration for the 2024-2025 season is closed for grades 3-12.
Primary season will run from mid-January to mid-March. Throughout the season, teams will meet weekly to work on their long-term-problem solution and practice spontaneous problems. The season culminates in a Showcase where all teams will present their solutions to their parents and other Collingswood OM members.
We are also looking for additional coaches. The way you can guarantee your kid gets assigned to a team is to volunteer as a coach! As a coach, you can set your own practice schedule that works for you and your team. While being a coach is a commitment, it is also very rewarding. It's a great program, and there is a lot of support from other coaches in Collingswood. Please email Brian Sidharta ([email protected]) if you are interested in discussing the possibility of coaching a Primary team.
Registration for the 2024-2025 season is closed for grades 3-12.
Contact:
You can learn more about Odyssey of the Mind at the following websites or by contacting:
President - Geoff DiMasi - [email protected]
Secretary - Dyani Feige - [email protected]
Volunteer/Tournament Coordinator - Kelly Zenfell - [email protected]
Division 1 (grades 3-5) Representative - Benjamin Garvey - [email protected]
Division 2 (grades 6-8) Representative - Meg Rambo - [email protected]
Division 3 (grades 9-12) Representative - Dolores Reilly - [email protected]
Collingswood Odyssey of the Mind Facebook Group
New Jersey Odyssey of the Mind Organization
Odyssey of the Mind International Organization
You can learn more about Odyssey of the Mind at the following websites or by contacting:
President - Geoff DiMasi - [email protected]
Secretary - Dyani Feige - [email protected]
Volunteer/Tournament Coordinator - Kelly Zenfell - [email protected]
Division 1 (grades 3-5) Representative - Benjamin Garvey - [email protected]
Division 2 (grades 6-8) Representative - Meg Rambo - [email protected]
Division 3 (grades 9-12) Representative - Dolores Reilly - [email protected]
Collingswood Odyssey of the Mind Facebook Group
New Jersey Odyssey of the Mind Organization
Odyssey of the Mind International Organization
Overview:
Odyssey of the Mind, also known as OM or OotM, is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for kids. OotM allows kids to combine their interests and skills in science, engineering, visual arts, performing arts, improvisation, and creativity. Teams of 5 to 7 kids develop solutions to "problems" that range from building mechanical devices (e.g., "Build a vehicle powered only by a mousetrap that can navigate a maze") to performing new versions of literary classics (e.g., "Re-write 'Hamlet' as an 8-minute musical comedy in which Hamlet is not a human being"). The teams bring their solutions to regional, state, and world tournaments. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and the world participate in OotM.
Collingswood Recreation Program Odyssey of the Mind (CRPOM) was founded in 2012. We are an all-volunteer, community-based program operated by the Borough. In this short time, CRPOM has grown into one of the largest and best programs in New Jersey, involving over 100 kids, 50 coaches, judges, instructors, and other volunteers. In twelve seasons of competition, CRPOM has sent 71 teams to the New Jersey State Finals, won twelve New Jersey State Championships, and sent 28 teams to the OotM World Finals, including two to the 2021 Virtual World Finals. In addition to their amazing 4th place finish at the 2023 World Finals, our Problem 1, Division 3 team received a Ranatra Fusca Award at the 2023 New Jersey State Finals for demonstrating outstanding creativity.
All kids who are eligible to participate in Collingswood Rec sports are eligible to participate in CRPOM. This includes any child who attends school in Collingswood or one of our sending districts of Oaklyn and Woodlynne. This also includes any child who lives in Collingswood and attends a private, parochial, or home school.
Frequently Asked Questions
Odyssey of the Mind, also known as OM or OotM, is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for kids. OotM allows kids to combine their interests and skills in science, engineering, visual arts, performing arts, improvisation, and creativity. Teams of 5 to 7 kids develop solutions to "problems" that range from building mechanical devices (e.g., "Build a vehicle powered only by a mousetrap that can navigate a maze") to performing new versions of literary classics (e.g., "Re-write 'Hamlet' as an 8-minute musical comedy in which Hamlet is not a human being"). The teams bring their solutions to regional, state, and world tournaments. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and the world participate in OotM.
Collingswood Recreation Program Odyssey of the Mind (CRPOM) was founded in 2012. We are an all-volunteer, community-based program operated by the Borough. In this short time, CRPOM has grown into one of the largest and best programs in New Jersey, involving over 100 kids, 50 coaches, judges, instructors, and other volunteers. In twelve seasons of competition, CRPOM has sent 71 teams to the New Jersey State Finals, won twelve New Jersey State Championships, and sent 28 teams to the OotM World Finals, including two to the 2021 Virtual World Finals. In addition to their amazing 4th place finish at the 2023 World Finals, our Problem 1, Division 3 team received a Ranatra Fusca Award at the 2023 New Jersey State Finals for demonstrating outstanding creativity.
All kids who are eligible to participate in Collingswood Rec sports are eligible to participate in CRPOM. This includes any child who attends school in Collingswood or one of our sending districts of Oaklyn and Woodlynne. This also includes any child who lives in Collingswood and attends a private, parochial, or home school.
Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule:
Collingswood Recreation Program Odyssey of the Mind teams compete at Regional, State, and World competitions.
Open Registration
Registration will be open September 9th at 8:00 A.M..
Coaches Training
TBD
Location: online
Judges Training
TBD
Location: TBD
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament (South Jersey)
TBD
Location: TBD
New Jersey State Finals
TBD
Location: TBD
Odyssey of the Mind World Finals 2024
May 2025
Location: TBD
Collingswood Recreation Program Odyssey of the Mind teams compete at Regional, State, and World competitions.
Open Registration
Registration will be open September 9th at 8:00 A.M..
Coaches Training
TBD
Location: online
Judges Training
TBD
Location: TBD
Coastal Plains Regional Tournament (South Jersey)
TBD
Location: TBD
New Jersey State Finals
TBD
Location: TBD
Odyssey of the Mind World Finals 2024
May 2025
Location: TBD
Volunteer:
Every family that participates in Collingswood Recreation Program Odyssey of the Mind is expected to volunteer to support the program in some capacity. Perhaps you have time to be a coach or a judge at a tournament or to lead a workshop. Maybe you have a great basement for storing supplies or a space for hosting post-tournament celebrations. Maybe you know how to raise money, or how to wrangle children, or have a good contact at a thrift store. We have a need that that fits your skills and availability! Please contact our Volunteer/Tournament Coordinator Kelly Zenfell - [email protected] - for more information.
Major Roles
Coach - Remember when you coached little league? Well, this is kind of like that, except it goes from October to March (or even late May) and at least 2 nights per week (and more as you get close to tournaments). Younger teams need 2 or 3 adult coaches; older teams typically need only 1. We can pair you with an experienced OotM coach if you're interested in coaching for the first time. Coaches assemble teams, coordinate practices, support and mentor players, and do all that standard coach stuff. One thing OotM coaches don't do, however, is help the teams solve their long-term problems. OotM is "hands on for kids, hands off for adults." Coaches help the teams learn the skills to compete in OotM, but the kids do the competing. Attendance at the NJ OotM coaches training is strongly encouraged. All coaches must be residents of Collingswood, Oaklyn, or Woodlynne, and must be 21 years or older.
Primary Club Leader - Serves in a coach-like role for a group of 2nd graders who are participating in OotM for the first time. Primary Club meets once a week and does not compete at tournaments. Many of our current coaches were once Primary Club leaders who "moved up" when their kids became eligible for the competitive divisions. All Primary Club leaders must be residents of Collingswood, Oaklyn, or Woodlynne, and must be 21 years or older.
Assistant Coach - October to March (or even May!) commitment, 1-2 nights per week. If you aren't quite ready to coach, but would like to assist the coaches with supply gathering, child corralling, taking groups of kids shopping for supplies, and other tasks. We could use many assistants. All assistant coaches must be 18 years or older.
Judge / Official - Every OotM team must contribute judges and officials to help run the tournaments. These can be parents, friends, teachers, older siblings, or anyone else 18 years or older. We must be able to rely on the judges and officials because our teams will be penalized if a judge or official doesn't show up for a tournament as promised. Judges are responsible for watching and scoring presentations (think of the judges for figure skating at the Olympics). Being a judge is a 2 or 3-day commitment. All judges must attend the judges training.
Non-judging Officials - do all sorts of logistics, such as staffing the snack table. It is a 1 or 2-day commitment. Non-judging officials do not need to attend the training, but all officials must attend the Coastal Plains Regional Tournament.
Workshop Instructor - Leads a 1 – 2 hour workshop about painting/sewing/team work/singing/gear ratios/electricity/whatever. Honestly, no experience necessary. If you can sew or act or sing or build, you can lead a workshop. We could use many workshop instructors.
Support Roles
Officials Assistant - help our Volunteer/Tournament Coordinator with the recruiting, care, and feeding of the officials - probably should have been an official already, and can be an official again this year too.
Form Boss - make sure teams have all forms and paperwork completed before tournaments. This job takes place right before a tournament, and involves verifying needed forms for each team/problem and harassing children and coaches to fill them out.
Space Coordinator Assistant - help our board Vice President in arrangements with schools/churches/community centers/etc. for practice space; may meet with administrative people at buildings. Excellent position for someone who knows or is familiar with potential available spaces around Collingswood, and is good at making friends with the people in charge of those spaces.
Publicity & PR - help our board Secretary distribute OotM info (posters and flyers) to schools, What's On, Retrospect; works with website/Facebook administrators; writes materials, press releases; works closely with School Liaisons.
Event Planner - Arranges post-tournament parties, send-off galas, other events for team members such as a field trip to the Franklin Institute, Barnes Foundation, ComedySportz, Dept. of Making & Doing, etc.
T-shirt/Pins/Swag Boss - assist our Volunteer/Tournament Coordinator to design, take orders, acquire, distribute these items - basically finished by the first tournament in March.
Transportation Coordinator Assistance - helps our Volunteer/Tournament Coordinator arrange rides to training and tournaments, and includes transport of props and other gear; if there are lots of teams, we might need to arrange for a bus.
Additional Roles
Collingswood Recreation Program Odyssey of the Mind (CRPOM) Board of Directors – This all-volunteer board is responsible for running the program, including recruiting coaches, registering teams, coordinating rehearsal space, coordinating with the Borough and the state OotM organization. Elections for the Board are held each June.
Friends of Collingswood Odyssey of the Mind - This all-volunteer organization is responsible for fundraising to support the program, especially raising money to help send our teams to World Finals. Everyone involved in OotM in any capacity is encouraged to become involved with fundraising.
Fundraising Coordinator - Leads Friends of Collingswood Odyssey of the Mind fundraising events; sets fundraising goals; meets with potential sponsors; arranges space
Fundraising Worker Bee – Assists Friends of Collingswood Odyssey of the Mind fundraisers such as staffing the booth at the Farmer’s Market, selling raffle tickets, bringing children to fundraising events, etc.
Every family that participates in Collingswood Recreation Program Odyssey of the Mind is expected to volunteer to support the program in some capacity. Perhaps you have time to be a coach or a judge at a tournament or to lead a workshop. Maybe you have a great basement for storing supplies or a space for hosting post-tournament celebrations. Maybe you know how to raise money, or how to wrangle children, or have a good contact at a thrift store. We have a need that that fits your skills and availability! Please contact our Volunteer/Tournament Coordinator Kelly Zenfell - [email protected] - for more information.
Major Roles
Coach - Remember when you coached little league? Well, this is kind of like that, except it goes from October to March (or even late May) and at least 2 nights per week (and more as you get close to tournaments). Younger teams need 2 or 3 adult coaches; older teams typically need only 1. We can pair you with an experienced OotM coach if you're interested in coaching for the first time. Coaches assemble teams, coordinate practices, support and mentor players, and do all that standard coach stuff. One thing OotM coaches don't do, however, is help the teams solve their long-term problems. OotM is "hands on for kids, hands off for adults." Coaches help the teams learn the skills to compete in OotM, but the kids do the competing. Attendance at the NJ OotM coaches training is strongly encouraged. All coaches must be residents of Collingswood, Oaklyn, or Woodlynne, and must be 21 years or older.
Primary Club Leader - Serves in a coach-like role for a group of 2nd graders who are participating in OotM for the first time. Primary Club meets once a week and does not compete at tournaments. Many of our current coaches were once Primary Club leaders who "moved up" when their kids became eligible for the competitive divisions. All Primary Club leaders must be residents of Collingswood, Oaklyn, or Woodlynne, and must be 21 years or older.
Assistant Coach - October to March (or even May!) commitment, 1-2 nights per week. If you aren't quite ready to coach, but would like to assist the coaches with supply gathering, child corralling, taking groups of kids shopping for supplies, and other tasks. We could use many assistants. All assistant coaches must be 18 years or older.
Judge / Official - Every OotM team must contribute judges and officials to help run the tournaments. These can be parents, friends, teachers, older siblings, or anyone else 18 years or older. We must be able to rely on the judges and officials because our teams will be penalized if a judge or official doesn't show up for a tournament as promised. Judges are responsible for watching and scoring presentations (think of the judges for figure skating at the Olympics). Being a judge is a 2 or 3-day commitment. All judges must attend the judges training.
Non-judging Officials - do all sorts of logistics, such as staffing the snack table. It is a 1 or 2-day commitment. Non-judging officials do not need to attend the training, but all officials must attend the Coastal Plains Regional Tournament.
Workshop Instructor - Leads a 1 – 2 hour workshop about painting/sewing/team work/singing/gear ratios/electricity/whatever. Honestly, no experience necessary. If you can sew or act or sing or build, you can lead a workshop. We could use many workshop instructors.
Support Roles
Officials Assistant - help our Volunteer/Tournament Coordinator with the recruiting, care, and feeding of the officials - probably should have been an official already, and can be an official again this year too.
Form Boss - make sure teams have all forms and paperwork completed before tournaments. This job takes place right before a tournament, and involves verifying needed forms for each team/problem and harassing children and coaches to fill them out.
Space Coordinator Assistant - help our board Vice President in arrangements with schools/churches/community centers/etc. for practice space; may meet with administrative people at buildings. Excellent position for someone who knows or is familiar with potential available spaces around Collingswood, and is good at making friends with the people in charge of those spaces.
Publicity & PR - help our board Secretary distribute OotM info (posters and flyers) to schools, What's On, Retrospect; works with website/Facebook administrators; writes materials, press releases; works closely with School Liaisons.
Event Planner - Arranges post-tournament parties, send-off galas, other events for team members such as a field trip to the Franklin Institute, Barnes Foundation, ComedySportz, Dept. of Making & Doing, etc.
T-shirt/Pins/Swag Boss - assist our Volunteer/Tournament Coordinator to design, take orders, acquire, distribute these items - basically finished by the first tournament in March.
Transportation Coordinator Assistance - helps our Volunteer/Tournament Coordinator arrange rides to training and tournaments, and includes transport of props and other gear; if there are lots of teams, we might need to arrange for a bus.
Additional Roles
Collingswood Recreation Program Odyssey of the Mind (CRPOM) Board of Directors – This all-volunteer board is responsible for running the program, including recruiting coaches, registering teams, coordinating rehearsal space, coordinating with the Borough and the state OotM organization. Elections for the Board are held each June.
Friends of Collingswood Odyssey of the Mind - This all-volunteer organization is responsible for fundraising to support the program, especially raising money to help send our teams to World Finals. Everyone involved in OotM in any capacity is encouraged to become involved with fundraising.
Fundraising Coordinator - Leads Friends of Collingswood Odyssey of the Mind fundraising events; sets fundraising goals; meets with potential sponsors; arranges space
Fundraising Worker Bee – Assists Friends of Collingswood Odyssey of the Mind fundraisers such as staffing the booth at the Farmer’s Market, selling raffle tickets, bringing children to fundraising events, etc.