John Florussen, Regional Director
(518) 464-5123
john.florussen@neric.org
Annie Gersztoff, Arts Coordinator
(518) 464-5102
annesley.gersztoff@neric.org
Anne Skrebutenas, Program Coordinator
(518) 464-3912
anne.skrebutenas@neric.org
Questions about team registration, judge or volunteer registration:
Colleen Meharg, Secretary
(518) 464-3910
colleen.meharg@neric.org
The Odyssey of the Mind program teaches students how to think divergently by providing open-ended problems in a team setting.
Embedded in the process are 21st Century Skills such as Creativity, Innovation and Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Global Awareness, Interpersonal and Collaborative Skills, Self-Direction and Adaptability.
The Region 7 Odyssey of the Mind service instructs school coaches about the Odyssey of the Mind program, trains volunteers to judge the competition and produces the annual regional tournament. Membership in the state and national organizations is required for participation in this service. Regional first-place champions are eligible for the state competition; state champions are eligible for the world competition. Get CoSer and pricing details for this service.
The 2025-2026 Long-Term Problem Descriptions:
s:
KEY DATES
Region 7 Judges Training- TBD at Capital Region BOCES
Region 7 Tournament Date - TBD
State Tournament - 2026 date - TBD
Odyssey World Finals - TBD
Quick Links:
Testimonials
"The one constant thing is that we (kids and adults) learn from the experiences and grow as a result. That's what the Odyssey is about and that's why I put myself through it year after year." - Cathi Butryn, Paige Elementary School Coach
"I was impressed with the Cobleskill team, they're just SO GOOD...the team is so down to earth. Our team ran into them after the competition outside and the two teams started talking about mistakes each had made and telling each other it didn't matter — watching the two groups of teens who were competing against each other and didn't know one another treat each other so supportively truly impressed me — not many adults behave that well! Thanks again for everything!" - Jacquie Carbone, Schenectady High School Coach