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Tournament of Minds

Tournament of Minds is a problem solving programme for teams of students from both primary and secondary years. They are required to solve demanding, open-ended challenges from one of the following disciplines;

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  • The Arts

  • Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM)

  • Social Sciences

  • Language Literature

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New Gisborne Primary has participated in the Tournament of the Minds challenges since 1998. It is an opportunity for students with a passion for learning and problem solving to demonstrate their skills and talents in an exciting, vibrant and public way.

The objectives of the program are to:

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  • Provide the stimulation of real, open-ended challenges

  • Develop creative 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 inquiry and a love of learning

  • Develop enterprise

  • Celebrate excellence

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Students present the product of their ideas - their challenge solution - to a panel of judges and an audience on Tournament Day. They have ten minutes in which to present and must do so within a 3 metre by 3 metre performance area.

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The teams must also participate in an unseen Spontaneous Challenge on Tournament Day. This challenge requires rapid interchange of ideas, the ability to think creatively and well developed group cooperation skills.

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Judges for both the Long Term and the Spontaneous Challenges are professionals chosen from all areas of education, the arts and industry. They are thoroughly trained to enable them to assess the creative performance and technical aspects of the presentation.

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