International Olympic Academy · Ancient Olympia, Greece
Capstone Project
Leadership Capstone
Your companion workbook for the Global Leadership Journey · Hudson Global Scholars
Team / Group
Names
Date
Welcome
Your Capstone Sketchpad
This workbook is your companion for the Olympic Academic Leadership Capstone — the culminating group project of the Global Leadership Journey at the International Olympic Academy. Use it to plan, reflect, and build together with your team.
Great capstones begin not with polished answers, but with bold questions. The pages ahead will guide you through seven steps — from choosing your project type to preparing your final presentation. Write here, sketch here, think here. This is your team's creative space.
"How can Olympic values, academic thinking, creativity, and leadership help young people design better communities, stories, and future opportunities?"
— The Capstone Big Question
Contents
Step 1
Choose Your Project Type
Step 2
Define Your Big Question & Problem Statement
Step 3
Select Your Olympic Values
Step 4
Identify Your Audience
Step 5
Build the Project
Step 6
Prepare the Presentation
Step 7
Submit & Reflect
Appendix
Evaluation Rubric
Project Type
Choose Your Project Type
Choose one of the five project types below. Circle or tick your choice and briefly note why it resonates with your team.
CAMPAIGN
Youth Conference Ambassador Campaign
Design a campaign to promote next year's IOA youth conference. Create materials that inspire others to apply.
— Campaign title & key message
— 3 social media post ideas
— 1 short speech or video script
— Ambassador action plan
— Visual poster or digital flyer
DESIGN
Build a City or Multi-Use Community Space
Design a model for a better city area, campus, cultural centre, or learning village inspired by Olympic values.
— Space name & concept
— Problem it addresses
— Simple map, layout, or sketch
— Key features & Olympic value connection
— 2-minute pitch
ACTION
Olympic Values Action Plan
Create a practical plan for applying Olympic values in your school, team, family, or community.
— Problem statement
— Chosen Olympic values
— 3 practical actions
— Timeline & roles
— Success indicators
STORY
Digital Story or Short Video Documentary
Create a short documentary, photo essay, or digital story about your IOA journey, Ancient Olympia, or an HGS course.
— Story title & main message
— Storyboard with 3–5 key scenes
— Narration or voiceover script
— Final video, slideshow, or photo essay
ENTERPRISE
Small Manufacturing or Social Enterprise Factory
Design a simple maker space or social enterprise that creates useful products or community value guided by Olympic values.
— Factory or maker-space name
— Product or service idea
— Basic production steps
— Community impact
— Simple pitch
Our choice & reason:
Question & Problem
Define Your Big Question & Problem Statement
Great projects start with a bold question. A "What if…" question challenges your team to think beyond the obvious. Use the starters below to spark ideas, then craft your own.
Example big questions:
→ What if every student in our school practiced one Olympic value every day for a week?
→ What if we could design a community space that brought together people from five different countries?
→ What if young people had the power to redesign how their schools teach about global citizenship?
→ What if our story could inspire someone 10,000 km away to care about Olympic values?
Our Big Question *
Problem Statement *
Describe the specific challenge, gap, or issue your project is designed to address. Who is affected? Why does it matter now?
Who is most affected?
Why does it matter now?
Values
Select Your Olympic Values
Select 2–3 Olympic values that will genuinely guide your project — not just be mentioned, but actively shape your choices. Circle your selections.
Excellence
Giving your best in all you do — in thinking, in creating, in collaborating.
Respect
Honouring the dignity of every person, culture, and perspective you encounter.
Friendship
Building bonds across differences — the spirit that makes the Olympics meaningful.
How will each selected value show up in our project?
Give a concrete example for each value you chose.
Value 1 :
Value 2 :
Value 3 (optional):
Audience
Identify Your Audience
Who are you creating this for? Understanding your audience shapes how you communicate and what you prioritise. Tick your primary audience and describe them.
My school
Future conference participants
Parents & teachers
My local community
Youth organisations
Young people around the world
Conference participants
Other
Describe your audience in more detail. What do they care about? What do you want them to feel or do?
What does our audience already know?
What do we want them to think, feel, or do differently?
Build the Project
Build the Project
This is the heart of your capstone. Work through each section together as a team.
Project Title
Give your project a clear, compelling title.
Main Idea
Describe your project's core concept in 2–3 sentences.
Why It Matters
Why does this project matter for young people or communities? Connect to your Olympic values.
Problem It Addresses
What specific challenge or opportunity does it respond to?
Our Solution, Design, Story, or Concept
Describe your proposed solution in detail. Be specific — what exactly will you create or do?
What Each Team Member Contributed
Name: contribution (e.g. Maria: research & script · James: design & slides)
What Your Team Learned
Key insights, surprises, and reflections from working on this project together.
What Could Happen After the Conference
How could this project continue or grow beyond the IOA?
Presentation
Prepare the Presentation
Use this template to plan your group presentation. Each section below maps to a slide or speaking segment.
Presentation Structure
1.
Project title and team members
2.
The challenge, opportunity, or story we are responding to
3.
Our Olympic value connection — how they shaped our work
4.
Our idea — what we created and why
5.
How it works — the details, design, or plan
6.
Who benefits — our audience and the impact we hope for
7.
What we learned as a team
8.
Our next step or call to action
Presentation Notes — what will each person say?
Who presents which section?
Materials / visuals we will use:
Submit & Reflect
Submit & Reflect
Before you submit, complete this final checklist and reflection. Your advisor will review and provide feedback.
Submission Checklist
We have selected a project type
We have a clear Big Question
We have written a Problem Statement
We have selected our Olympic values and explained how they are reflected in our work
We have identified our audience
We have completed all project content sections (title, main idea, solution, etc.)
We have assigned roles for the presentation
We are ready to present
Team Reflection
What are we most proud of in this project?
What was the hardest part — and what did we learn from it?
How did working as a team change our thinking?
What would we do differently if we had more time?
What is one thing from this project we will carry forward after the conference?
Appendix
Evaluation Rubric
Your capstone will be evaluated across the following eight criteria. Use this rubric to guide your work before submission.
16%
Boldness of the Idea
Idea demonstrates vision — challenges assumptions, shifts norms, or shows potential for significant change rather than incremental improvement. Framed as a bold "What if…" question.
Tip: Start your big question with "What if…" and aim for something bold — not a small improvement, but a real shift.
Score
/ 16%
16%
Problem Clarity
The problem is stated clearly and concisely. Who is affected and why it matters are identified in straightforward terms.
Tip: Name the problem in one or two sentences. Say who is affected and why it matters.
Score
/ 16%
12%
Potential Impact
Clear beneficiaries of the idea are identified and the project has potential for meaningful change beyond the immediate team or school.
Tip: Who benefits? Show how this could reach a wide audience or create real change.
Score
/ 12%
9%
Personal Connection
A specific and authentic personal or team connection is described. The relevance is clear and avoids generic statements.
Tip: Share a real moment, story, or reason why this matters to your team. Be specific.
Score
/ 9%
12%
Feasibility & Practicality
The project is realistic and achievable within typical student constraints. The proposed steps and timeline are grounded and actionable.
Tip: Ask yourselves: Could we actually do this? Break it into realistic steps and show it is doable.
Score
/ 12%
12%
Creativity & Innovation
The approach is original and inventive. The solution goes beyond obvious answers and shows genuine creative thinking.
Tip: What makes your idea different or surprising? Avoid the most obvious solution — show a fresh perspective.
Score
/ 12%
12%
Application of Olympic Values
The chosen Olympic values are explicitly and meaningfully woven into the project design — not just mentioned in passing.
Tip: Show how your project embodies your chosen values — give a concrete example of how each value shapes your idea.
Score
/ 12%
9%
Presentation Quality
The project is presented clearly, engagingly, and professionally. Ideas are communicated in a logical sequence with appropriate language.
Tip: Practice your delivery, use a clear structure, and make sure every team member contributes.
Score
/ 9%
Total Score
/ 100%
Advisor Feedback
Advisor Name
Date
Final Status
"The spirit of the Olympic Games lives in its values — not only in competition, but in connection, learning, and human dignity."