LACOOCHEE, Fla. — Lacoochee Elementary made history last week when the school’s Odyssey of the Mind team competed in the World Finals for the first time ever, and placed in the top third of teams.

What You Need To Know

  • Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition, but there’s not one right answer to the problem; students must work together to create the solution

  • Students from Lacoochee Elementary School compete in the World Finals in Michigan 

  • Lacoochee Elementary's team placed in the top third of teams, taking 20th place in the world

Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition, but there’s no one right answer to the problem as students must work together to create the solution.

The World Finals were hosted in Lansing, Michigan, this year, and students raised enough money to pay for the whole team to go thanks to generosity from the community.

“Welcome to NASA gym located on the Planet of Fitness where you can get jacked and muscular, just like me,” said one of the students as they rehearsed their performance for the World Finals.

The students of Lacoochee Elementary School’s Odyssey of the Mind team are taking you on an intergalactic trip to the Planet of Fitness, and these students had to plan, and create, every aspect of how to get here, solving various problems along the way.

“Odyssey of the Mind is a teamwork and problem solving creativity program that’s national where students can learn skills that they’re going to need later in life that may help them in their careers,” said Kyara Prezmorales, who just finished fifth grade.

While some larger schools have nearly a dozen teams, Lacoochee Elementary School has just this one, and this is the first team that’s ever made it worlds.

“Lacoochee is a little school that is majority poverty but we like to say here, our staff and our principal especially who grew up here in Lacoochee, is that doesn’t define who we are as a school,” said Sadi Avants, who is one of the coach’s for the Odyssey of the Mind team.

Coaches Avants and Ryah Taggerty say Prezmorales and the team worked hard on their performance since October, competing, and winning, at both regionals and the state competition, never letting their demographics define them, like their principal teaches them.

“Having everything come together, I could not be more proud of them. We definitely were emotional,” said Taggerty.

Prezmorales says she’s proud to be a part of the team that made it all the way, hopefully setting a new precedent for the Odyssey of the Mind teams here at Lacoochee Elementary, that you don’t have to be large to be mighty.   

More than 750 teams from all over the world, ranging from elementary to college age, competed at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals this year.