The public is invited to see the competition among 700 student teams from around the world during the annual Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, Wednesday through Saturday at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The Odyssey of the Mind is an international program that challenges students to come up with the most creative, original and imaginative ways to solve a selection of problems. The program's mission is to develop creative-thinking skills in students from kindergarten through college.
Millions of students participate worldwide, and competition organizers expect about 12,000 people to attend the finals in Boulder, with the majority of attendees staying on campus and in local hotels.
All the event competitions are free and open to the public, but student events like the opening ceremonies, the parade and graduation ceremony are open only to participants. For a schedule of events, visit the Odyssey of the Mind information desk in the University Memorial Center loggia, or call (303) 735-MIND.
Parking in and around the CU-Boulder campus during the Odyssey of the Mind will be limited, and use of public transportation is encouraged. Complete regional bus schedules can be found online at .
"We encourage people to use public transportation as much as possible," said Carol Scolari, community relations liaison for CU Parking and Transit. "It's a beautiful campus to walk through right now. We love having visitors, and parking is not always easy."
Parking meters on campus are generally a dollar per hour, and the Euclid AutoPark is $1.40 per hour, Scolari said. Odyssey of the Mind participants can purchase special parking permits for Williams Village and other campus locations. Regular parking permits will be honored in applicable areas, she said.
This year marks the 23rd annual World Finals, and CU-Boulder is playing host for the third time. The competition began in 1979 and was held at CU-Boulder in 1989 and again in 1992. Campus staff members have been hard at work planning out every detail of the event as well as accommodations and entertainment for thousands of visitors.
"We are excited to welcome back the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals to the CU campus and Boulder," said Debbie Cook, manager of the CU Office of Conference Services and campus coordinator for Odyssey of the Mind. "We're looking forward to greeting the finalists and wish them every success in their competitions."
For more information about the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, call (303) 735-MIND or visit the Web site at .