Odyssey of the Mind finals registration fee is $2,500. WTF?

[NewJeffCT]

My daughter signed up for Odyssey of the Mind this fall - it's only the second year my town in Connecticut has had the program. They're in Division 1, which is Grades 3 to 5.

Shockingly at the Connecticut State Finals, the team came in second place, thus earning a trip to the University of Maryland for the World Championship. (It was a shock, because everybody on the team is in their first year in the program, including the woman that is the coach of the team)

However, the fee to register a team for the finals is $2,500. With seven team members, that works out to $357 per kid. However, you can get the fee waived if you select on-campus housing for the duration of the tournament. Of course, the charge for on-campus housing & meals is $550.

(link here: http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/wf2011/faq.php )

Now, I think it's a great program and it teaches kids to be creative and to think outside the box, but coughing up $357 per kid is a lot to ask, even in an upper-middle class town in Connecticut. (considering you have to also get there via plane, train or automobile and get a hotel...) And, if I'm blanching at the cost, how could kids from an inner city school afford that?

I know why they have two months between the state finals and the world finals now - the teams need the time to do fundraising!

[The2ndWheel]

1. Ah, pin trading

I think I remember something about pins involving georgia and peaches being important. State wide bus rides to Altoona and back. Plane rides to Iowa. Over 20 years ago. Good times.

[NewJeffCT]

2. I'm sure it's a great time & a great experience

Plus, despite being born & raised in the northeast US, I've never been to Washington DC... so, this will give me a chance to hop over there for a few days if we make it a vacation.

However, I think it's asking a lot for teams to come up with $2,500 just to register.

[The2ndWheel]

4. Yeah, it is

I guess their first priority isn't to help expand a child's creative imagination. More of a by-product.

[PassingFair]

8. My husband and one of the other fathers really got into the pin trading....

We joked that they were going to open a pin-trading
kiosk called "Pin Dicks"

Good times, good times...

[AngryOldDem]

3. Wow.

As a former OM coach, I'm astounded by that figure. Not even factoring in inflation, the fees as I remember nowhere reached that amount. Yes, the kids had to raise some of the money on their own (my school district ran a thriving OM program that could help out some financially). Still, I'd want a dollar-by-dollar accounting for that kind of cash.

After my second year in, the school district suddenly switched from OM to something called Destination Imagination. I now wonder if the exorbitant fee schedule had something to do with that, even though the official explanation was that DI was thought to be a more creative program for the kids.

[bif]

5. That's outrageous!

I used to coach OM and I don't recall it being that expensive. Of course, our teams never made it that far either!

[NewJeffCT]

6. do they have sub competitions in larger states?

Connecticut had one competition for the entire state, so it wasn't like we had to go to a county competition, and win that, and then the state competition.

[bif]

7. We had regionals

For Southeaster Michigan. Then states in Lansing.

[NewJeffCT]

9. That probably makes it more difficult

because you have an extra layer of competition.

[PassingFair]

10. I was a coach for OM and then for DI...I had a team win the state competition ....

and I well remember that "deer in the headlights" feeling
when you were shown into that room and told what was involved
in the next step.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We NEVER thought we would be able to raise the money for
7 kids and chaperones to travel to Tennessee from Michigan.

When all was said and done, donations and money from the
"program for excellence" or some-such, combined with some
money ponied in from the PTO, covered the kids expenses
and room & board at the university. Parents ponied up for
ourselves.

The school got a tour bus for us and away we went! We got
slaughtered at the finals, but we had a great time otherwise.

The kids (they're in college now) STILL talk about it.

[NewJeffCT]

11. That's what I'm hoping for

Some money from the PTO and/or the town's Board of Education. The town we live in is very into their schools and how good they are - they had a big march last year to demand we raise taxes to improve the schools. So, this is something that the town would hopefully get behind.

[PassingFair]

17. Watch out for school politics!

The PTO was NOT going to cough up a DIME until
they knew what the board was going to pony up.

I asked the principal for help navigating the
choppy waters of school politics.

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. That seems like not so very long ago, but I guess it was.

[PassingFair]

18. Look at the videos again and tell me how long ago it was!

I have a biography on Elizabeth Taylor to send you....

I bought it for you for Xmas (LAST YEAR) and never
sent it, ended up reading it....

It's called "Furious Love"....want me to send it?

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. Sure! Or...you could bring it down! Or is that wishful thinking?

Miss you.

[LynneSin]

12. My best friend's kid did OOTM for years

this is the first year she isn't competing but only because she was stuck with some very ignorant people on her team. But prior years their team has done well including a few trips to the world championship.

[NewJeffCT]

13. Good for her

I'm sure my daughter will want to do it again next year.

[suninvited]

14. when my daughter was in high school

she was in the International Baccalaureate program. You would not believe how much money she had to come up with for four years straight. From her school supplies costing hundreds of dollars a year to money for all the places they went.

I guess the program did not realize that smart kids do not mean rich kids. Although most of the kids in the program came from professional parents, my daughter had me; a single mother with a retail management job.

It was very frustrating.

Congrats on your daughter and her team going to finals!!

[NewJeffCT]

16. Thanks

I'm sure we can afford the money - it's just kind of a surprise that it costs that much. Plus, it bothers me that the high cost probably really limits participation to mostly white suburban kids.

[PassingFair]

19. Some schools pay all expenses.

The teams from Texas were unbelievable.
HUNDREDS of kids!

Lots of kids from Iowa and Wisconsin as well.

It's like the Brainiac's Olympics!

[NewJeffCT]

20. Thanks

sounds interesting.

I'm sure these kids will be middle of the pack, at best, when it comes to the finals. I think they got kind of lucky in picking a long-term problem that was less popular than most of the others.

[Chan790]

22. Take the $550.

UMD is just outside DC and you'll spend more than that on hotel alone, no lie. I'm assuming the tourney is a full week. Unless you're looking at the flea motels in the scary part of SE DC, you're not going to find a hotel room for under $120/night (possibly $180-$200 depending when during the year it is), even with Kayak, Priceline, Expedia, et al.

[NewJeffCT]

23. It's 3 nights

I think. Could be four.

[Wldcard3]

24. Congrats!

We also competed in DIV I in CT this past weekend. Unfortunately we did not do so well. Our Mouse mobile had developed some technical issues in transport. This was our schools first year competing and my first year coaching, so I am very surprised by the fee for the finals. Although I never really thought about the fee I assumed there would be one, just not so large.

I am also looking for Pins as well. My Daughter fell in love with a few of the pins (medusa especially) on the pin towel that was being raffled off, and when she did not win I promised her I would look online, but I have found nothing. Please let me know if you find any

Thanks
Brookfield CT

[NewJeffCT]

25. Congrats to you as well - and welcome to DU

We'll have to take that into consideration if & when we go to Maryland - keeping the mouse mobiles safe on the drive to MD. Maybe bring some spare parts.

It was our school's second year competing in OM and everybody on this team was in their first year in the program (The team with veterans finished in 8th place in Good as Goldberg)

(Avon, CT)

[Wldcard3]

26. Thanks

I was discussing the fee with my Wife, and had mentioned that I do not know what we would have done if we had placed. She mentioned that the kids might have to have some sort of fundraiser. When would the registration fee be due (out of curiosity)?

I hope that the kids are able to go. It sounds like something that they will always remember. If you do go, I wish your team all the luck in the world. Maybe next year our teams will meet on the same challenge.

Let me know if you have any luck with the pins. I have an e-mail out to Brian Wagner (the CT State Director) for pin information

Good luck

[NewJeffCT]

27. The fee is due April 29

We'll have to figure out if we want to stay on campus or in a nearby hotel.