CREATIVITY. TEAMWORK. INGENUITY. ARTISTRY.
For over 40 years, Odyssey of the Mind (OM) has empowered young people (K-12 + university) around the world to embrace their creativity, learn divergent-thinking skills, and contribute as part of a team to develop innovative solutions to open-ended problems. The program has a long history in California, with over 750 teams competing.
The skills acquired in Odyssey of the Mind help young people succeed in life and make them attractive candidates for university admission and internship/career opportunities. For participants, OM is a hands-on, engaging, and social experience. From robotics to acting, painting to engineering, coding to music, participants learn valuable new skills while having so much fun!
Best yet, OM is affordable: every young person has the opportunity to participate! Whether OM is run as a school activity, a community program, or a family/friend offering, OM is available to anyone and everyone who wants to join!
by Jim Mourey
"Never say you can't. Say you can but it will be difficult"
- Dr. Sam (Founder of OM)
SoCAL Odyssey of the Mind
Welcome to the 2024-2025 season of Odyssey of the Mind in SoCal!
Welcome to the SoCal Association for Odyssey of the Mind!!!
When people ask , “What is Odyssey of the Mind?” we tell them to imagine a combination of theater and problem solving with a creative twist. Through the writing of original scripts, the creation of costumes, props, scenery, and technical elements, teams of students work together to produce incredible solutions to creative problems while thinking “Beyond the Box!” Students with talents in many areas and who are unique and divergent thinkers find amazing opportunities to showcase their gifts in script writing, costume creation, music, dance, visual arts, props and scenery construction, engineering, problem solving, leadership, critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and more!
California OM has a long history of outstanding creativity, with teams competing at the regional, state, and international levels for over 30 years! Our state has historically had 10 regions run by amazing regional directors who dedicate an incredible amount of time and energy to make sure our program runs smoothly for our 750 teams from Redding to San Diego.
Four years ago, California Odyssey of the Mind split into two separate organizations due to growth. California South (SoCal) has four regions from Fresno to San Diego. The regions in SoCal are LA Basin, South Central Valley, Inland Empire, and Coastal.
Enjoy looking around our website – we have information about OM, galleries with photos and videos from our teams, information about forming a team in your area, opportunities for volunteers, and a link to make a donation if you would like to support our program. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your regional director or email me at socaldirector@socalodyssey.org.
Debbie Neff, SoCal Odyssey of the Mind Volunteer State Director
Events
Coaches Trainings - TBA
JUDGES ON-LINE TRAINING - TBA
LA BASIN REGION TOURNAMENT - FEBRUARY 22, 2025, BARNHART SCHOOL, ARCADIA
COASTAL REGIONAL TOURNAMENT - MARCH 1, 2025, MORENO VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
INLAND EMPIRE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT - MARCH 1, 2025, MORENO VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
SOCAL STATE TOURNAMENT - MARCH 15, 2025, MORENO VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
News & Announcements
2024-2025 World Finals Advancement Guidelines Announced
SOCAL 2024 STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS
Inland Empire Regional Tournament Results
Coastal Regional Tournament Results
SoCal State Association Tournament
Pay SoCal State Membership
$85
The state membership will register your group at the state level. These funds are used to run the state tournament, train officials, and maintain the program in Southern California.
Starting a Team
01
Generate interest in the Odyssey program.
Any school, home school, or community group may purchase membership(s) from Creative Competitions, Inc at www.odysseyofthemind.com
– Traditional International Membership – $290
02
03
Purchase a state membership from SoCal Odyssey Association for $85, which is required of each national membership to participate in the SoCAL Odyssey of the Mind program.
Each team competing in a Regional Tournament pays a registration fee per team.
04
05
Get started with your team. Get training for coaching and coordinating.
Find Your Region
Search for your region by zip code:
Find the region that your team will register to compete and where coaching training will be offered.
Help Support Students
SoCal Odyssey is a non-profit organizations that runs on volunteer efforts. Help support the efforts of this organization to give Southern California students the opportunity to let their imaginations grow and be creative.