Melinda McCann is entering her 10th year as coordinator of Odyssey of the Mind, a student enrichment program run by community volunteers in the Northampton Area School District. During the Aug. 12 NASD Board of Education meeting, McCann, an instructional assistant for the NASD gifted student program, said this is her last year as coordinator and she may not have a successor to lead Odyssey.

Odyssey fields seven to nine teams of 60 district students in grades K-12 in March through May for contests and events. One of the district teams went on to compete in the state contest. The teams have ranked in the top 30 percent of competitors. Contests emphasize the all-important STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) subjects.

Odyssey has been ongoing for 25 years in NASD, funded through tournament fees and the Odyssey Booster Club.

“We are a creativity team. We showcase teamwork, math, science, acting, building,” McCann said.

“Every kid has a talent. We are student-led. We’re really proud of how our kids are independent thinkers,” she added.

McCann became an Odyssey volunteer when her daughter Leah, a Northampton Area High School senior, participated in the program.

“I went into it as a brand-new parent, and here I am, 10 years later,” McCann said.

She said she feels the program is important for students who are not sports oriented.

“It’s been especially strong for my daughter. It’s been very rewarding,” McCann said.

When she got involved, McCann said there were three teams in the district and a $200 budget.

Odyssey of the Mind, with teams in 50 states in the United States and in 25 countries, was founded in 1978 by Dr. C. Samuel Micklus of Rowan University.

According to its website, Odyssey of the Mind is “an international creative problem-solving program that engages students in their learning by allowing their knowledge and ideas to come to life in an exciting, productive environment. Participants build self-confidence, develop life skills, create new friendships and are able to recognize and explore their true potential.”

There are two types of problems to solve in Odyssey of the Mind: long-term problems and spontaneous problems. Long-term problems include vehicle, technical, classics, structure, performance and primary (grades K-2). Spontaneous problems include verbal, hands-on and combination.

According to its website, “Odyssey problems have challenged students to design mechanical dinosaurs, invent new factory machinery, build working vehicles, write a new chapter to ‘Moby Dick,’ put a twist on classic artworks and turn Pandora’s box into a video game.”

The Odyssey of the Mind mascot is Omer the raccoon.

Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, with teams from China, India, Germany, Mexico and Canada, are attended by 20,000 people, including teams, parents, coaches and volunteers. A school can join Odyssey of the Mind for $135.

The Odyssey program in NASD includes 14 district events and 41 meetings.

“The only challenge we have is finding volunteer coaches,” McCann said.

McCann, along with Odyssey coaches Amanda Millhouse and Tammy Seidick, made a presentation about Odyssey to the board and administrators at the Aug. 12 meeting.

Millhouse said she began participating in Odyssey at age 9.

As a volunteer coach, she said of students, “They ask you a million questions. And I have to say, ‘You have to figure that out yourselves.’”

“You learn that everybody has a different creative mind and everybody’s idea matters,” Millhouse said, in quoting fourth-grade student Quinn Hughes.

The program, which is small-team focused, teaches, according to Millhouse, independence, ownership, confidence, mindfulness, perseverance and social and educational growth.

Seidick said it’s important to let students problem solve on their own, adding, “When you get out of their way, it’s amazing what the kids show you.”

Odyssey has held events at Northampton Area Food Bank, made a presentation in an assembly at Col. John Siegfried Elementary School and held an end-of-the-year picnic.

There are Odyssey programs in 15 school districts in northeast Pennsylvania.

McCann said NASD is one of the districts that doesn’t provide a stipend for Odyssey coaches.

“We are in alignment with your goals and what everyone is looking for,” McCann said to the NASD school board and administration.

NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said, “We have a protocol for clubs for district approval.”

Committees in the district schools must approve clubs, or not, Kovalchik said.

After a school club is approved, it is on probation for one year. After that, a club may receive a $400 to $1,000 stipend.