WELLS – Creative thinking, out-of-the-box ideas and innovation were celebrated and rewarded when about 170 teams from all across Maine descended on schools in Wells Saturday to take part in the state Odyssey of the Mind tournament.

There were some new winners, as well as returning champions among the teams chosen to go on to the World Finals, which will be held at Iowa State University, May 23-26.

In all, three teams from Windham took part.

One Windham Middle School team took on the Weird Science, Division II challenge, while another took on the To Be or Not to Be, Division II challenge. A team from the Windham Primary School took on the Hide and Peek challenge.

In the To Be or Not to Be challenge, the team from WMS took the title character of Hamlet and offered him the chance to go through the pit of OW, “or Outstanding Wonderfulness,” or make another choice.

In the skit, according to team coach Dawn Allen, Hamlet makes the wrong choice and decides not to go through the pit, which lands him in big trouble.

Unfortunately, none of the teams from Windham placed in the top three for their challenge and division, but Allen said Odyssey of the Mind is not just about winning, it’s also about “building friendships and learning new things.”

Allen described her role as the coach as, “basically providing moral support and transportation.”

“The enthusiasm from all the kids was infectious, which made the long day and months of planning (for the tournament) all worth it,” said Fern Brown, co-director of the state’s Odyssey of the Mind program.

“There were many comments about how well-behaved the teams were and how creative the solutions all were this year,” she added. “We had very good feedback from coaches about the tournament and it met all our hopes for a wonderful showcase for talented Maine kids.”

The judges, all volunteers, attended a full day of training earlier this month. Their job was to fully understand each challenge the teams are asked to solve, Brown said. The judges are also trained to evaluate the different components of each challenge.

In Odyssey of the Mind, the participating students, who range in age from kindergarten to high school, must do everything themselves. Each team has a coach, who can advise the teams, but otherwise no outside assistance is allowed.

By participating in the program, the “kids learn intellectual curiosity and interpersonal and collaborative skills, along with communication, problem-solving, critical and creative thinking and self-direction skills,” said Brown.

The six-member team from Windham Middle School competed in the To Be or Not to Be, Division II challenge on Saturday at the state Odyssey of the Mind tournament in Wells. In the back row, from left, are Chad Witherow, Kiana Clark, Devyn Hibbard and Samantha Chute. In the front row are Cassady Mather, left, and Hannah Allen. (Staff photo by Kate Irish Collins)