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Seven fourth graders from Forestville Elementary School earned third place at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, outperforming dozens of teams in an international test of creativity, teamwork and technical problem-solving.

Natalie Bryant, Ege Gursoy, Colin Hertling, Hande Karadayi, Jayden Li, Noelle O’Hara and Cayson Patel competed against 53 other teams representing eight countries at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

Their challenge required them to build and operate a train that traveled through a course and collected cargo at several stops. Once gathered, the cargo had to be transformed into a work of art.

The students also turned the technical solution into a performance featuring a humorous conductor and a villain determined to stop the train from reaching its destination. A separate spontaneous contest further tested their ability to solve problems under pressure.

Forestville was one of only three Virginia teams to reach the podium at the 2026 World Finals. The students advanced to the international event after taking first place in both the Odyssey of the Mind Northern Virginia regional competition and the Virginia state competition.

“Beyond their competitive success, we are especially proud of the way these students represented Forestville Elementary School and FCPS throughout the event,” said parent and co-coach Korhan Gursoy. “They demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, maturity, and responsibility in their interactions with fellow competitors, coaches, judges, volunteers, and families from around the world.”

Gursoy coached the team alongside fellow Forestville parent Jason Bryant.

Three other Fairfax County Public Schools teams participated in the World Finals. Kilmer and Twain middle schools each finished 15th in their respective categories, while Clermont Elementary School placed 18th.