2026–2027 Season
Odyssey of the Mind is not a drop-in club.
Joining an Odyssey of the Mind team means becoming part of a small group of students who depend on one another over the course of a season to imagine, design, build, write, perform, solve problems, fail, rebuild, practice, compete, and—sometimes—advance much farther than anyone expected.
Because one student's choices can significantly affect an entire team, families joining Odyssey of the Mind through the Society of Wit & Wonder agree to the commitments below.
I understand that my child is joining an Odyssey of the Mind team, not simply enrolling in a weekly class.
Team members are expected to:
Families understand that Odyssey teams depend heavily upon continuity and that repeated avoidable absences may substantially affect other team members.
Odyssey of the Mind teams may include up to the number of participants permitted by current Odyssey of the Mind rules.
The Society will generally aim for teams large enough to remain viable if a student becomes unavailable during the season.
Team placement may consider:
Team placement decisions ultimately belong to the Society and designated OM leadership.
Once a student has contributed to an Odyssey of the Mind problem solution, official Odyssey of the Mind rules may prevent that student from simply being removed and replaced on the team's competition roster.
Families therefore understand that joining a team is a meaningful season-long commitment.
Regular attendance is essential.
Families should notify the coach as soon as possible when a participant will miss a meeting.
The Society understands that illness, school obligations, family emergencies, and other unavoidable circumstances occur.
However, repeated avoidable absences, chronic late arrival, or failure to participate may result in a conference with the student and parent/guardian and may affect the participant's role within the team's solution.
Closer to competition, teams may schedule additional rehearsals or work sessions beyond the normal weekly meeting schedule.
Families will receive as much advance notice as reasonably possible.
By joining a competitive Society Odyssey of the Mind team, the family intends for the participant to attend the team's scheduled qualifying tournament.
If the team advances to the next level of competition, including State Finals or World Finals, the team remains an active competitive team.
Families agree to communicate immediately with Society OM leadership if circumstances may prevent a student from participating in an advancement tournament.
Because a student's work remains part of the team's solution even if that student later withdraws, withdrawal after significant work has begun can create substantial consequences for the remaining team.
Before enrollment opens, the Society will publish the current Odyssey of the Mind fee schedule.
The fee schedule may include:
Families will not be charged undisclosed mandatory fees without notice.
Advancement Commitment
When a team advances to another level of competition, expenses may already have been incurred or committed on behalf of the full team.
For that reason:
A family's financial responsibility for previously approved or committed team expenses does not automatically end if the student later chooses not to continue participating.
The Society will make reasonable efforts to keep advancement costs predictable, communicate them quickly, and offset significant advancement costs—particularly World Finals—through fundraising, sponsorships, grants, and other financial support.
The purpose of this clause is not to punish a family whose circumstances change. It is to prevent remaining team families or the nonprofit from unexpectedly absorbing costs that were incurred based upon a full team's commitment.
Exceptional hardship circumstances may be reviewed by Society leadership.
Odyssey of the Mind fundraising conducted under the Society of Wit & Wonder name belongs to and is administered by the Society.
Funds will be tracked transparently and used for authorized Odyssey of the Mind purposes.
The Society will establish and communicate how fundraising proceeds are allocated, which may include:
Unless specifically structured otherwise by the Society, fundraising proceeds should not be considered personal property belonging to an individual participant.
If a student withdraws, funds previously raised through Society-sponsored fundraising remain with the Society or applicable OM program/team fund.
One of Odyssey of the Mind's most important rules is that the solution belongs to the students.
Parents, coaches, friends, siblings, instructors, mentors, and other adults may teach general skills, provide approved supervision, ask appropriate process questions, and help students learn how to use tools safely.
They may not create, design, improve, suggest, or solve any part of the team's competition solution.
That includes seemingly harmless comments such as:
If the team did not originate the solution, adults should not give it to them.
Parents agree to respect Odyssey of the Mind Outside Assistance rules even when watching students struggle.
Sometimes the correct adult response is:
"That's your problem to solve."
Participants must follow current Odyssey of the Mind rules governing artificial intelligence, outside resources, copyrighted material, and Outside Assistance.
The current-year Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide, problem limitations, and official clarifications control whenever they conflict with Society guidance.
Students and families should ask the coach before using a resource when they are unsure whether its use is permitted.
Society Odyssey of the Mind coaches:
Coaches do not design or solve the long-term problem for the team.
A coach may let a team make a choice that the coach believes will fail.
That is not bad coaching.
Learning to evaluate, test, fail, revise, and solve problems independently is part of Odyssey of the Mind.
Parents and guardians are important partners in making the season successful.
Families agree to:
Parent volunteers working directly with students may be required to complete Society youth-safety screening and training.
Odyssey of the Mind involves strong personalities, passionate ideas, creative disagreements, and students learning how to work with people who think differently.
Disagreement is expected.
Bullying, harassment, threats, hate language, deliberate humiliation, retaliation, or conduct that makes another participant unsafe is not.
Students remain subject to the Society of Wit & Wonder Member Code of Conduct and Youth Protection & Safe Participation Policy.
When ordinary team conflict occurs, coaches will generally help students learn to communicate, compromise, evaluate options, vote when appropriate, and resolve the issue themselves rather than solving it for them.
Families considering withdrawal should contact the coach and Society OM leadership before making a final decision whenever possible.
Because Odyssey of the Mind is team-based, withdrawal may affect:
A student's withdrawal does not erase work the student has already contributed to the team's solution or necessarily remove the student from the official OM roster.
Previously incurred, nonrefundable, or committed expenses remain subject to the financial provisions of this Agreement.
Withdrawal and future payment obligations are governed by the Society of Wit & Wonder Odyssey of the Mind Withdrawal & Financial Commitment Policy, which is incorporated into this Agreement.
World Finals is an extraordinary opportunity—and a significant financial and logistical undertaking.
If a Society team qualifies:
The Society's goal is to make advancement financially achievable rather than allow a student's opportunity to end solely because their team was unexpectedly successful.
All Society Odyssey of the Mind activities operate under the Society's Youth Protection & Safe Participation Policy.
Participants also agree to follow:
Unsafe use of tools, materials, vehicles, equipment, or facilities may result in immediate restriction from that activity even when the participant believes the action is part of the team's solution.
Safety rules are not Outside Assistance.
Adults may always intervene to prevent injury.
The Society cannot guarantee:
Competition outcomes belong to the team.
The Society measures a successful OM season not only by medals or advancement, but by growth in creativity, independence, problem solving, collaboration, resilience, and ownership.
Family Commitment
By signing below, we acknowledge that we have reviewed this agreement and understand that Odyssey of the Mind is a team-based, season-long commitment involving time, attendance, teamwork, competition, financial responsibilities, and strict rules concerning student ownership of the solution.
We agree to follow:
Participant
Name: __________________________________________
Signature: ______________________________________
Date: __________________________________________
Parent/Guardian
Name: __________________________________________
Signature: ______________________________________
Date: __________________________________________
Society of Wit & Wonder
Team/Division: __________________________________
Coach: __________________________________________
Problem: ________________________________________
Date Accepted: ___________________________________