(CARTERET, NJ) -- More than a dozen borough middle and high school students, all of whom either are first-generation Americans or foreign-born, are competing May 25 to 28 at the Odyssey of the Mind Finals at Iowa State University in Ames.
Central Jersey business owners and residents can sponsor this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the 13 youngsters to demonstrate their skills in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) on an international level. Carteret High School and Middle School each will send a team to the nation’s oldest problem-solving competition, founded in 1978 in New Jersey. More than 600 teams from 10 different countries will compete, according to district Odyssey of the Mind Head Coach Sheila O’Hare Barrows.
Having raised nearly half of the $20,000 needed to defray all costs from students’ families, the school district is offering an engraved plaque in exchange for $1,000 sponsorships. All sponsors also will receive a listing at carteretschools.org. Funds must be raised by May 13, Barrows said.
“This program has had a significant impact on our Carteret students,” said Barrows, a seventh- grade science teacher. “Odyssey opens their minds to a world of possibilities and to think outside the box every day. Odyssey of the Mind introduces them to a number of new skills and experiences with new friendly faces from all over the world and allows them to grow their social circle while learning leadership and teamwork. It teaches how crucial teamwork is in pursuing success and that you can make anything out of nothing. The sky's the limit.”
Since its inception in the Carteret School District in 2017, 105 students have participated in the Odyssey of the Mind program, Barrows said. As a result, many have been able to pursue college scholarships, as well as connections obtained through an influential Alumni Association, she said.
The program launched in Carteret with one of the teams placing second in the state competition and sixth overall at World Finals, ahead of 40 other teams from the United States, China, Singapore, British Columbia and Hong Kong, Barrows said.
“The second year we competed, we sent two teams to World Finals,” she said. “One of them was a Problem 1 State Champion who placed fourth in long-term and style ahead of 60 other teams from the United States, Qatar, Russia, Hong Kong, India, Poland, China, Shanghai and Switzerland. The competition was interrupted during the 2019/2020 academic year, but we were poised to bring three teams to State Finals!”
Barrows coaches with Jacklyn Pereira and Nicole Gonzalez, who respectively teach seventh and eighth grade science. They work with team advisor Nestor Cortina, who teaches architectural modeling, 3D printing, and robotics at the high school.
The high school team, who built vehicles designed to perform certain tasks, consists of Leandro Lucas, Paulina Dzierzanowska, Sukhveen Gill, Efthimia Rukis, Ali Abdullah, and Kevin and Michelle Hernandez. All are in 11th grade except Kevin Hernandez, who is in 12th, and his sister, Michelle, who is in ninth.
The middle school team, who wrote the original music and designed a set from recycled materials for a musical about an unsung historical figure, includes Shubhlean Kaur, Giovana Rafael, Aamna Qureshi, Prianka Singh, Najah Abdullah, and Fahhama Fatima. All are in seventh grade except Abdullah, who’s in eighth.
All of the coaches are first-generation Americans, as are 10 of the two teams’ members, Barrows said. Two others, Kevin Hernandez and Rafael, were born in Peru and another, Dzierzanowska, in Poland, she said.
“People should donate to help provide these talented students with a once-in-lifetime opportunity to showcase their talents, meet students from other countries, and proudly represent Carteret at an international venue,” Barrows said.
Donors can send contributions to: Carteret Middle School, 300 Carteret Ave., Carteret, NJ 07008. Checks or money orders can be made out to: Carteret Middle School with Odyssey of the Mind in the memo. The school’s tax ID is 22-6001708. Donor questions can sent to Barrows at [email protected] or Gonzalez at [email protected].
Updates about the Odyssey of the Mind teams will be available at carteretschools.org and by following @CarteretSchools on Instagram and Twitter and CarteretBOE on Facebook.
