OJR Odyssey Team Raising Funds for Trip to World Competition

Having already placed first in both regional and state Odyssey of the Mind competitions, a group of 14 OJR students have their collective eye set on winning the World Competition at Michigan State University.

In order to get there, they'll have to raise funds – quickly.

The team, which is comprised of elementary and high school students from Owen J. Roberts School District, will have to raise $5,000 for the registration fee, plus additional money to cover all expenses for the week-long competition later this month. None of the funding will come from the school district.

To help out with fundraising, the team has partnered with the Rita's Water Ice to host an event at their Pughtown location at 2323 Pottstown Pike. The event is scheduled for May 15 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

According to Jeff Hester, who represents the group, there is a concern that they may be unable to travel to the competition due to funding, but he's hopefull that people in the community will support their cause.

Odyssey of the Mind participants are encouraged to think divergently by working on open-ended problems that cross a wide range of diciplines.

"The students learn to identify challenges and to think creatively to solve those problems," said Hester. "They are encouraged to think outside of the box, and to feel free to express their ideas and suggestions without fear of criticism."

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