TOM - Tournament of Minds

Tournament of Minds is one of the fastest growing international school programs with the involvement of thousands of school students from across Australia and beyond.

TOM is a team based, open-ended, problem-solving challenge. It is an opportunity for students with a passion for learning and problem-solving to demonstrate their creative skills, talents and resilience in an exciting, vibrant and public way.

Teams are required to work together on a Long Term Challenge for six weeks, without assistance from teachers, parents or peers. They are encouraged to explore possibilities and experiment with ideas as they endeavour to produce their best possible solution. They develop a creative and original way to communicate this solution to others, working within predefined parameters such as limited materials, complex challenge criteria and the deadline of Tournament Day.

Student feedback from 2021:

‘While we didn't have much notice for the transition online, we loved the extra challenge, so we persisted, rehearsed and then finished the challenge. Though it could be frustrating or tiring at times, overall it was a really fun experience and I would recommend to anyone interested.’   

 ‘TOM has been an amazing experience for me. It was an adjustment when we had to complete it online, but it made it all the more exciting and challenging. I loved working with new people, and when we completed our final presentation, it was all worth it.’   

YWPS teams compete in the Geelong Region and, if successful there, go on to represent the region at the State Finals held at
La Trobe University.  Our teams have previously enjoyed terrific success at State Finals. On four occasions Yarraville West teams have been judged to be the best in the State in their category.