Princeton Junior School’s Odyssey of the Mind teams competed in the New Jersey State Finals at Princeton High School on April 9. There, both teams qualified to advance to the World Finals taking place at Iowa State University, May 25-28.
The Grade 6 Team competed in Division II against other New Jersey middle school students and placed second in their long-term problem, Escape VrOom, according to information provided by Princeton Junior School.
The Grade 5 Team competed in Division I against elementary students and placed third for their Matryoshka Structure. They had the added prestige of being honored with a Ranatra Fusca Award for demonstrating outstanding creativity and “ingenuity that [even] seasoned judges had never seen,” according to the statement.
Under the direction of coach Zach Floyd, this is only the school’s second year participating in the program, and the first year in-person, advancing to the World Finals.
The team’s coaches have started a fundraising campaign to generate awareness and fund the necessary capital to travel to the competition. To help PJS on the “Road to Iowa,” visit www.freefunder.com/campaign/get-pjs-to-world-finals to make a donation in support of the teams. Follow the PJS OMers’ journey on their facebook page, The Road to Iowa: A Princeton Junior School Odyssey.