After outstanding success last year, winning two awards, including placing in the top 3 teams in the state, the College is gearing up to once again enter the Optiminds Challenge in 2022. Optiminds is a creative sustainability challenge which empowers participants to think, create and communicate through a problem-solving event for teams of 4-7 students. There are a variety of divisions for teams (determined by the year level of the oldest group member) who choose to solve open-ended challenges from one of the following categories:

• Language Literature
• Science Engineering
• Social Sciences
• Media Communication

When is it and what is my time commitment?

• Challenges open July 19
• Teams have 6 weeks to prepare
• Challenge Day – Sunday August 28, Toowoomba (either in person or virtual)
• Teams present their solution in a 10-minute presentation to a panel of judges
• Teams also participate in a spontaneous challenge
• Facilitators commit to meeting with their team on a weekly basis for this period at a time mutually suitable to participants and facilitator

At OLSCC, students from Years 2-10 are invited to participate.

In preparation for this, Mrs Walton will be offering Critical and Creative Thinking Club during Term 2 on Wednesday afternoons, 3.15-4:00pm. Whilst it is not compulsory to attend this club in Term 2, it is intended to provide experience and preparation of similar tasks as the Optiminds challenges and may help with team selections.

Parents and caregivers of students who wish to participate in either Critical and Creative Thinking Club and/or Optiminds should register their interest by completing this form online by Monday 28 March. An individual form entry is required for each child.

Optiminds / Critical and Creative Thinking Club

Team selections will be finalised late in Term 2. Thankyou to staff who have volunteered to manage teams during the challenge period. This has enabled us to offer this opportunity to our students.