Support Milpitas Schools in the
Odyssey of the Mind
2026 World Finals!
MCEF is excited to support the three exceptional teams from Milpitas Unified School District — The Structure Stickducks, Phoenix Planet Pioneers, and the Cart-o-Graphers supported by Milpitas Community Education Foundation (MCEF)—as they prepare for the Odyssey of the Mind's World Finals.
Odyssey of the Mind is an International program to teach creative problem solving where teams of students tackle open-ended problems, developing solutions through teamwork, creativity and critical thinking, culminating in a competition where they present their solutions.
The World Finals will be hosted at Iowa State University in Ames, IA from May 27 - 30th, 2026. To make this dream a reality, the teams seek your support to cover travel costs, ticket purchases, registration fees, and more. Even if you cannot attend in person, you can still be part of the excitement through a livestream of the event, enabling you to support them from any location.
We invite you to join us in supporting these skilled teams and helping them make a significant impact on the global stage!
Learn about Odyssey of the Mind here
2026 MUSD Teams
The Structure Stickducks (P4D1)
Click / scan on a QR code to provide your support
Individual Donation
Matching Donation
HELLO! We are Xin Rou, Vaani, Navira, Suhavi, Amy, Vunshika, and Yi Jet from William Burnett Elementary School, Milpitas. We are super excited to represent Burnett Elementary, Milpitas, and Northern California in the Odyssey of The Mind World Finals in Ames, Iowa!
This is our second year that our school has participated in the Odyssey of The Mind. We’re very excited to be back again! From experience, we got right to work. We wrote our own script, made and decorated our own costumes and backdrops, and built a balsa wood structure that weighed only 18 grams, but supported a whopping 600+ lbs. of weight on top of it WITH balls thrown at the structure! With our combined efforts and hard work, we won 1st place at the Regional Tournament and also won 1st place at the State Tournament!
We are seeking your support towards the costs associated with travel, accommodation, and other logistical needs to attend the World Finals. We promise with your support, we’ll put our best efforts together to bring home the trophy and proudly make Milpitas known to the world. We deeply appreciate any contribution or sponsorship from you. Thank you!!
Phoenix Planet Pioneers (P4D1)
Click / scan on a QR code to provide your support
Individual Donation
Matching Donation
Our Odyssey of the Mind team from Mabel Mattos Elementary School—Aahan, Avyukth, Joshua, Kaushal, Noah, Tanishka, and Reya—have been on an incredible journey of creativity, teamwork, and perseverance. We took on the challenge of designing and building an ultra-light balsa wood structure weighing just 17 grams, along with an imaginative performance, “Earth’s Birthday Party.” Balancing schoolwork with late nights and weekends, we built and tested dozens of structures and refined every detail with dedication and passion.
At Regionals in February 2026, our balsa tower held 355 pounds and earned us 3rd place. Determined to improve, we pushed even further for the State competition, where our structure held an incredible 605 pounds. Our hard work paid off as we secured 2nd place, qualifying us for the World Finals in Iowa.
Now, we are honored to represent Mabel Mattos Elementary School and the Milpitas community on the world stage—showcasing a community that encourages kids to dream big, work hard, and go all in. We hope our journey inspires the next generation of students to believe in their creativity and realize that they can achieve something extraordinary too. Please support us in making this incredible opportunity possible. Thank you for encouraging and supporting us through your generosity as we take Milpitas to the world stage!
Click / scan on a QR code to provide your support
Individual Donation
Matching Donation
Cart-o-Graphers (P2D1)
From Our Team to You — A Request for Your Support
We are Aarav, Ahi, Deetyam, Hiya, Naysa, Vihaan, and Yuvansh. Our team consists of (six-)seven creative members from Thomas Russell Middle School, proudly sponsored by the Milpitas Community Education Foundation (MCEF). This is the first time we have done Odyssey of the Mind as a team. We are honored to represent our community at the WORLD FINALS hosted at University of Iowa with our passion for problem-solving and creativity.
As a team, we chose Problem 2. Our problem is technical. The task was to create a malfunctioning device with a skit that incorporates it. This challenge combined creativity with robotics. At the State Championships, we won first place in our long-term problem, and through this challenge, we have learned to grow stronger together as a team and enjoy it. Our journey has been, and will continue to be, challenging and rewarding, with just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Earning a place at the World Championships is an incredible achievement, but it also comes with significant travel and competition expenses.
We are now reaching out to our community for support to help make this opportunity possible for every member of our team. We are committed to giving our very best, representing Northern California , and making our community proud with your support. Every contribution, big or small, brings us one step closer to competing on a global stage. Thank you so much for believing in us and for your support!!!
Quick Facts:
🏆 1st Place — Long-Term Problem, California State Championships
🌍 Qualified for World Finals
⚙️ Built a technical, original malfunctioning device with a full humorous skit
🤝 Grew as a team through real collaboration and creative problem-solving
💪 Committed months of work to earn this opportunity
Community Sponsorships (Travel)
Sponsorships are key for us to reach our goal. The amount raised here is evenly divided between all of the teams. We want to thank you for your generous support for journey and it means greatly to represent Milpitas in the World Finals. There are two levels of sponsorships and we are grateful for your support.
Sponsorships must be completed by April 30, 2026 11:59 pm PST
Remember to check the box, Corporate/Organization donation, to put in the name of your company or organization
You DO NOT have to make an optional donation to Zeffy to use the system.
Support our Milpitas Teams!
Sponsor ($150 - $499) Benefits:
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Organization's / business logo added to this website.
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Tax Receipt for donation
Major Sponsor ($500+)
All the Sponsor level benefits and
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Organization's / business logo added to the team's T-shirts
Click / Scan QR code to sponsor
2026 Community Sponsors
