Trumbull Team Earns Spot in World Competition

Trumbull Students in 4th and 5th grade from Tashua Elementary School, Middlebrook Elementary School and Daniels Farm Elementary School finished first place in their division at the 2019 Connecticut State Finals which took place March 16, 2019 held at Southern Connecticut State University for Odyssey of the Minds.

'Team Java' will now represent the Town of Trumbull and the entire State of Connecticut at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals which is a four-day competition held at Michigan State University in East Lansing on May 22-25, 2019. Donations to help send these Trumbull kids to Michigan are needed. Contributions can be made through this Go Fund Campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/trumbull-odyssey-of-the-mind-team-world-finals

Team Java, consisting of Georgia Marsh, Maggie Mascola, Tate Sullivan, Connor McGill, Alexis Kokosa and Kayla Mirochnik were required to choose one of five "long-term" problems as their major focus of their competition. Team Java selected "Opposites Distract" as their problem. The team centered the skit around a coffee shop named the Java Joint where the managers and employees were pitted against each other by a sneaky character disguised as a reporter. Their skit using song, rap and excellent comedic timing, showed how the characters uncovered the plot of the sneaky character and realized they needed to work together in the future!

All of this was presented within an 8-minute time limit!The team is excited to be representing their home state in the upcoming World Finals. Modeled after the Olympics, the World Finals includes an opening ceremony celebrating the representatives from approximately 35 states and 15 countries worldwide, and includes competitions and a variety of creative activities for the teams and coaches, many provided by leading scientific and research organizations such as NASA.Team coaches and parents are busy making arrangements for this exciting adventure to East Lansing, Michigan.

Fund-raising efforts are underway to help defray the roughly $14,000 that will be necessary to fund travel and expenses related to the four day competition. Please help these hard-working kids make it to represent Trumbull and Connecticut in WORLD FINALS!

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program whose mission is to provide creative problem-solving opportunities for students of all ages. Tasked with solving open-ended problems, students develop creative thinking skills that can be applied to real-life situations.