Pine Island Academy, located in St. Augustine, is celebrating a record-breaking showing at the Florida Odyssey of the Mind State Finals, held earlier this month at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. All six of the school’s participating teams delivered exceptional performances — and for the first time in Pine Island history, three teams are advancing to the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, taking place May 21-24 at Michigan State University in East Lansing.
Among the three advancing teams, two earned first place finishes and one placed second, securing invitations to compete alongside top student teams from more than 20 countries in a global celebration of creativity, critical thinking, and student-driven problem-solving.
First Place – Division II, Problem 5: AstronOMical Odyssey!
This team wowed judges with a comedic, space-themed performance set in a Candyland-inspired galaxy. Their creative set and costumes were made from Sour Patch Kids and M&M’s wrappers, Behr paint samples, PVC piping, and materials sourced from Home Depot, Lowes and students’ homes. The imaginative storyline, meteor twist and entirely student-built elements earned them first place and a trip to World Finals.
First Place – Division II, Problem 2: Mech-Animal Sidekick
Another team claimed first place for designing and programming a fully functioning dinosaur robot sidekick. Their performance combined engineering ingenuity with engaging storytelling and earned high marks for both creativity and technical execution.
Second Place – Division II, Problem 1: The OM-Mazing Race
This team earned second place with their original theme, “Fractured Fairytale Car.” They reimagined Cinderella’s carriage as a beach-ready ride, crafted from Kroger plastic bags, pool noodles and other repurposed materials. The whimsical, coastal twist on a classic tale impressed the judges and secured their spot at the World Finals.
All six Pine Island Academy teams invested countless hours into preparing for the state competition. Whether designing technical devices, writing original scripts or creating imaginative characters and props, every team showed outstanding creativity, collaboration and commitment to the Odyssey of the Mind process.
“This is the result of months of dedication and imaginative problem-solving from every single student involved,” said Shanon Cally, Pine Island Academy’s Odyssey of the Mind coordinator. “Whether they’re heading to World Finals or just wrapping up an incredible season, every team member should be extremely proud of what they’ve accomplished.”
Odyssey of the Mind is an international program that encourages student-driven, STEAM-based solutions to long-term challenges, blending science, engineering, art and performance.
Learn more at odysseyofthemind.com.
