For the first time, a team of 4th and 5th graders from Martin Luther King (MLK) Elementary School in Edison, New Jersey, made history by winning the 2025 Odyssey of the Mind World Championship.
Held from May 21–24 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, the international competition featured more than 600 teams from across the United States and countries including Sweden, Poland, China, Singapore, India, South Korea, and Mexico.
“It was a proud moment for the students, parents, teachers, school, Edison township and the State of New Jersey,” said a statement, highlighting that the team not only claimed the world title, but also triumphed at the regional and state levels.
The winning team, Aarika Shukla, Akshara Deshpande, Amay Maheswari, Anika Dubey, Burhanuddin Jaorawala, Sahashra Saravanan, and Saket Kalangi, “showed exceptional teamwork, ingenuity and high spirits throughout the competition to lift the prestigious cup,” the statement added.
Odyssey of the Mind (OM™️) is a renowned international creative problem-solving competition that encourages students to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges through collaboration and critical thinking. Teams compete in various categories designed to test their resourcefulness, teamwork, and imagination.
Guided by MLK teacher and coach Kim Kai-Cheng Poon, the team won the Division 1 World Championship for the challenge “Save the Structure.” This task required participants to build a balsa wood structure – using only wood and glue – capable of bearing as much weight as possible before breaking. Their structure held an impressive 1,095 pounds, the highest in their category, showcasing the students’ engineering acumen, creativity, and perseverance, it added.
In addition to the engineering feat, the team also wrote and performed a skit as part of the “Save the Structure” challenge. The students designed and crafted all the costumes and props, demonstrating artistic vision and collaborative spirit alongside their technical skills.
