MORE than 300 Australian school children will sing, dance and even rap their way through 'mind-bending problems' when the University hosts the national final of the Tournament of Minds in October.
Aimed at developing the ingenuity and team work of students aged six to 16 (Grades 1 to 10), the Tournament of Minds was launched in Australia in 1987, with Queensland schools taking up the challenge nine years ago.
Queensland's 1997 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Minds state director Fiona Meyer said a record 1416 teams from 615 state and private schools across Queensland had entered this year, representing the largest state contingency.
The national final will be held for the first time at the University on October 25, involving 336 students. Six teams from each state/territory will compete under categories of Language Literature, Maths Engineering, and Social Science.
'We like to avoid referring to the tournament as a competition,' Ms Meyer said.
'It's really an event and it's both fun and challenging for the students who are so excited about coming out to the University - we get so many children who say they want to come back when they finish school.'
During the finals, Ms Meyer said the 48 teams, each comprising seven students, would be given three hours to solve a complex problem. They would prepare a dramatic presentation of their solution, make props and costumes and in some cases build constructions out of 'junk material' including paddle pop sticks and paper plates.
The students were also required to solve and present a 'spontaneous problem' within five minutes, she said.
'The tournament has been designed as an enrichment process for all students, not just so-called gifted students,' she said.
'It encourages risk taking, team work, self confidence, creativity - all those things mirrored in a successful business practice.'
Ms Meyer said it was also exciting that Education Queensland in conjunction with the Commonwealth Bank had increased funding for the event to $120,000 over three years.
The Tournament of Minds national final will kick off with an opening ceremony at South Bank on October 24.
The Queensland finalist teams are from Somerville House, Kuluin State School, and Our Lady of the Angels, in the Primary Division; and Shalom Catholic College, Whitsunday Anglican School, and Roma Middle School in the Secondary Division.
For more information, contact Ms Fiona Myer (telephone 07 3369 0447).
