With a little help from the Tooth Fairy, Thornapple Elementary’s Odyssey of the Mindteam took second place in the world.Working with the Odyssey of the Mind ‘tooth-brushing’ theme, Thornapple’s team chose the “As Good as Goldberg” technical problem. This resulted in a complex yet successful 7-step Rube Goldberg contraption combined with a creative skit featuring students as a wisdom tooth and the Tooth Fairy.

Utilizing their teamwork and problem-solving skills, the students took first in regionals and state, propelling them to the world competition held at the University of Maryland. There they engaged in spontaneous challenges, met students from numerous other countries and competed against 61 other teams showcasing their various innovative interpretations of the different themed challenges.

West Michigan car dealership, Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge, acted as a crucial fundraiser for the team’s trip. Enlisting Chrysler’s “Drive for the Kids” program, Courtesy raised over $1,800 in just three hours to help the team experience Odyssey of the Mind at the international level.

“Drive for the Kids” brought Courtesy sales consultants and 3 Chrysler vehicles, a Chrysler Town & Country, Chrysler 300 and Chrysler 200, to Thornapple Elementary. For every test drive, Chrysler donated $10 to the school, which chose to use the funds for its highly successful Odyssey of the Mind team.