Please diarise 07 September 2023! This is the day Herzlia will once again host the regional finals of this prestigious tournament. This week we launched this wonderful enrichment opportunity and our Gr 6-9 pupils have shown unprecedented interest in joining teams of seven pupils who will work collaboratively for 6 weeks during Term 3 to solve various challenging problems. Almost 80 Herzlians have asked to participate in TOM this year!
Tournament of Minds (TOM) is an international programme designed to give participants the opportunity to participate in creative activities involving stimulating open-ended challenges, which demand experimentation and reward divergent thinking. TOM promotes learning and development as an individual within a team structure. It was launched in Victoria in 1987 and by 1992 all Australian states and territories had joined the programme. It is now an international program, with competitions conducted in New Zealand, Africa, South East Asia and many other international locations.
TOM’s objectives are to
- provide real open-ended challenges linked to both the formal and informal curriculum
- develop creative, collaborative problem-solving approaches and techniques
- foster cooperative learning and teamwork
- promote knowledge and appreciation of self and others
- encourage experimentation and risk-taking
- expand and reward creative and divergent thinking
- stimulate a spirit of enquiry and a love of learning
On Tournament Day, teams of seven pupils are required to present their solutions to two challenges – the Long Term Challenge and the Spontaneous Challenge.
The long-term challenge
The Long-Term Challenge is an open-ended challenge, in that it does not have any one specific solution and teams choose a challenge from one of the following disciplines:
- Language Literature
- Social Sciences
- STEM
- The Arts
The spontaneous challenge
On Tournament Day teams are also presented with a Spontaneous Challenge.
The Spontaneous Challenge is a previously unseen ‘on the spot’ challenge. It allows only a short time for teams to discuss, plan and present their response. The purpose of the Spontaneous Challenge is to closely analyse the team’s ability to develop ideas and work collaboratively towards a solution.
We look forward to another incredibly exciting Tournament of Minds. Please contact Mark Helfrich mhelfrich@herzlia.com for more information.
To view TOM’s Website https://tom.edu.au/branch/rsa/ or Facebook page https://web.facebook.com/TournamentofMindsRSA
MARK HELFRICH
