Cary-Grove Odyssey of the Mind

09/06/2026

We would like to thank our sponsor, Mathnasium of Cary, IL for sponsoring our membership this year and allowing us to use their center for practices! This community sponsorship allows us to offer the program to students of ALL ages from ANY school. We are excited to announce that we will have FOUR teams this year, including a new Division II team at the junior high level!

Primary (K-2): "Teamwork Effect" (1 spot remaining)

Div I Classics (grades 3-5): "Wonders of the Ancient World Awaken" (FULL)

Div I Structure (grades 3-5): "Copycat Structure" (FULL)

Div II Technical (grades 6-8): "Haywire Hijinx" (FULL)

We still have 1 spot left for a K-2 student on our Primary team, so if your child is interested please reach out to [email protected]! Practices will be held on Sunday afternoons.

Mathnasium of Cary IL's top-rated K-12 math tutors in Cary, IL, empower students of all skill levels to learn and master math. Enroll today!

09/03/2026

Registration status as of 9/6:

Primary problem (grades K-2): Only 1 spot remaining! Contact [email protected] if you have a K-2 student interested in participating!

Div I (grades 3-5):
-Classics problem #3 FULL
-Structure problem #4 FULL

Div II (grades 6-8):
-Technical problem #2: FULL

09/02/2026

The long-term problems for 2026-2027 have officially been posted! Review of all registration forms is currently in process and teams will be announced soon. Submit your registration form ASAP if you are interested in joining a team! Reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

🚨 The 2026–2027 Long-Term Problems are POSTED! 🚨

Head over to OdysseyOfTheMind.com and visit the Member Area to check them out.  Reminder-You must be logged in with a current membership to view the Problems.

Have fun, get creative, and remember… THINK BEYOND THE BOX!

08/30/2026

Calling all K-12 students! We still have spots available for this year's Odyssey of the Mind program, and students from any school district or homeschool are eligible to join! Our sponsor this year is Mathnasium of Cary, and many of our practices will be held at the center on Friday evenings, Saturday mornings/afternoons, or Sunday evenings depending on team member availability. The program details are available here for review: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16tX32-ivgaq3od5Krv2yF__p4VW53Ku-/view?usp=sharing

We especially need more girls to join our teams! OM has something for everyone, with a selection of long-term problems to solve depending on each student's interests: STEM (robotics, architecture, engineering), ancient history, creative writing, music, dancing, performing, set / prop / costume design, etc.

The regional tournament will be hosted right here in our hometown at Cary Junior High on March 6, 2027, with an (optional) opportunity to compete at the 2027 OM World Finals at Michigan State University in May.

If you're ready to sign up, you can submit your preferences for long-term problems here: https://forms.gle/zdyTGWAYFPF19WoY7

Reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

08/13/2026

Do you enjoy building things? Have you ever thought of becoming an architect when you grow up? Here is an example of the "Structure" long-term Problem 4, where Division 1 students (3rd - 5th grade) designed a balsa wood structure to withstand as much weight as possible.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/11/2026

While teams often spend the majority of their practice time solving their long-term problem, they also regularly practice solving Spontaneous problems to improve their teamwork and communication skills. This practice helps teams feel confident and comfortable thinking up creative solutions to problems presented on the spot by the judges during the Spontaneous portion of the tournament, which could be verbal, hands-on, or verbal + hands-on problems. Here is an example of a hands-on Spontaneous problem.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/09/2026

Calling all K-12 students who enjoy solving problems with a team: come join us for an info session at the Cary Library on 8/24 at 7 p.m. to learn more about what Odyssey of the Mind is all about! Share this flyer with a friend who might be interested in joining you!

08/03/2026

Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2026-2027 season of Odyssey of the Mind! We are expanding the program this year to all K-12 students in the Cary-Grove local area (pending student interest and coach availability). The full problems will be released by OM HQ in early September, so we'd like to form our teams and get an early start this fall with practices.

The 2027 Northern Illinois OM Regional Tournament will be held right here at Cary Junior High on March 6, 2027, and World Finals will be returning to Michigan State University next May, so don't miss out on the fun!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RHztL-4IvPTyD3qD9v1dJGFD3SnUkhVZ/view?usp=sharing

Sponsors, coaches, tournament volunteers, and indoor team practice sites (with prop/supply storage) are also needed! Please reach out to [email protected] if you're interested in helping us out!

06/05/2026

🎉 We have some OMazing news to share! 🎉

The 2027 Northern Illinois Odyssey of the Mind Regional Tournament is coming right here to our hometown at CARY JUNIOR HIGH on Saturday, March 6, 2027!

Hosting the Odyssey of the Mind (OM) tournament is an incredible opportunity to spotlight OM locally, grow participation, and give even more kids the chance to experience the creativity, teamwork, and confidence that make this program so special. ✨

If you’re new to OM, it’s a creative problem-solving competition for students from kindergarten through college, where teams of up to 7 students tackle hands-on challenges that blend engineering, storytelling, and innovation in the most fun and inspiring ways.

🚀 To help expand access and remove barriers, we’re currently working to launch a non-profit booster club that will support:

- Membership fees
- Tournament costs
- Travel to World Finals
- Logistics for practices and tournaments
- Program sponsorship and advertising

We’re building this organization from the ground up—and we’d love your help. This is a true community-driven effort to grow OM across our community and give more kids the chance to participate.

Interested in joining the board or becoming a founding member?
💬 Comment below, PM this account, or reach out to Christie Larson for more details—we’d love to have you join us!

If your kids are interested in learning more about what OM is all about, follow our page for updates on upcoming kick-off meetings for the 2026-2027 season! Teams can include up to 7 students from any school in the following divisions:

- Primary: K-2
- Division I: 3-5
- Division II: 6-8
- Division III: 9-12

Creative opportunities often present themselves unexpectedly, so the ability to think on your feet is one of the most important skills a person can acquire. Our Spontaneous problems offer a way to hone that skill.

05/29/2026

Three Oaks Div I Problem 2 team having a great time at Worlds!
Spontaneous down, long term to go!