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Lasse Leponiemi

Chairman, The HundrED Foundation
first.last@hundred.org

Owlypia

Turning learning into real-world skills

Owlypia is a global learning ecosystem for students aged 9–18 that connects academic enrichment with essential twenty-first century soft skills. Through curated LMS resources and Online, Local, and Global Rounds, students develop curiosity, confidence, communication, critical thinking, and teamwork through public speaking, debating, and collaborative challenges.

Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Updated April 2026
Created by

Owlypia

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48

Countries
All students
Target group
Through Owlypia, we hope to help shape an education system that prepares young people not only for exams, but for life. In a connected and fast-changing world, knowledge alone is no longer enough. Students need confidence, curiosity, empathy, creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to work with others. Owlypia creates opportunities for students to develop these skills in practice. Through learning, public speaking, debating, teamwork, and international challenges, learners are encouraged to express ideas clearly, listen respectfully, solve problems creatively, and engage thoughtfully with global issues. We also believe that these opportunities should be accessible to all. Through initiatives such as sponsorships, free registrations, and social responsibility projects, Owlypia works to widen access and ensure that more students can benefit from meaningful skills development, regardless of their background. Ultimately, our aim is to make soft skills development a recognised and essential part of education. We want to see a shift towards learning that not only informs students, but empowers them to think independently, act responsibly, and contribute with confidence to the world around them.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

The Owlypia ecosystem was created to bridge the gap between education and life beyond the classroom. While schools provide essential academic foundations, young people also need essential twenty-first century skills to apply what they learn in real-world contexts. Owlypia gives students a platform to build transferable soft skills that prepare them to succeed beyond exams and into future academic, professional, and social environments.

Through structured learning, self-paced study, and challenge-based competitions, students strengthen their critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and innovation skills. They are encouraged to explore their interests, express their ideas with confidence, engage in meaningful discussions, and learn how to work effectively with others in diverse settings.

Owlypia was designed to make skills development more accessible, practical, scalable, and engaging for young learners across different countries and contexts. Our aim is to build a global community of curious and informed students who can discuss ideas and global issues, think critically about modern developments, and create thoughtful solutions. In doing so, they develop the confidence and awareness needed to make meaningful contributions to the world around them.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Owlypia in practice is a connected learning journey that begins online and can lead students into national and international learning experiences. Students and teachers create accounts through the Owlypia website and access Owlypia's online Learning Management System. The LMS gives learners curated resources linked to their chosen academic subject and soft skills development, including books, films, articles, videos, influential people, quizzes, and guided materials.

Teachers can access resources including a ten-session Soft Skills Development Programme for classroom, club, or after-school use. Students can join Owlypia through different pathways. In the Online Round, they select an academic subject, study their resources, and complete the online assessment on the date.

The Local Round is a collaborative event between Owlypia and a Host School. Students register, select a subject, and form teams of three. Before the event, they use the LMS to practise with their resources and quizzes. During the challenge days, they take part in individual and team challenges, including public speaking, debating, and teamwork activities.

Medallists from the Online or Local Rounds qualify for the Global Round, where they join students from different countries for a deeper international learning experience. The 2026 Global Rounds will be held in London and Chiang Mai. These one-week international educational festivals include challenge days, cultural experiences and educational tours.

How has it been spreading?

Owlypia has spread through a combination of online access, school partnerships, community engagement, and international outreach. We run multiple Online Rounds each year, allowing students from different countries to participate wherever they are. In 2026, Owlypia ran an Online Round each month, helping more students access the programme through a flexible digital pathway.

Local Rounds have also played a significant role in Owlypia’s growth. These events are hosted in partnership with schools, which invite students from their own and surrounding schools to take part. This allows new communities to experience Owlypia directly and often leads to further school engagement.

Owlypia also grows through its active social media presence, digital advertising, student ambassadors, and school outreach. Our ambassadors help keep the Owlypia community active in their countries, while our Outreach Team contacts hundreds of schools and education partners each year, including through direct school visits.

Today, Owlypia has over 5,400 registered supervisors and ambassadors and reaches approximately 62,000 students. The Owlypia Team also attends international education conferences to stay connected with current educational developments and build new partnerships.

How have you modified or added to your innovation?

This year, Owlypia introduced its online Learning Management System to make learning more accessible, structured, and measurable for students, teachers, and parents. Through the LMS, students and teachers can easily access resources linked to Owlypia Rounds and soft skills development.

For teachers, the LMS includes Skills for Success, a ten-session soft skills development programme that can be used in classrooms, clubs, or after-school activities. We also provide a Teacher Guides section with detailed resources to support Round preparation and lesson delivery.

For students, once they register for a Round, they gain access to a range of curated resources. Each resource includes structured learning sections such as keywords, pronunciation support, comprehension activities, summaries, soft skills links, quizzes, and guided reflection tasks. We have also incorporated AI-supported evaluation to provide students with instant, detailed feedback on their work.

Owlypia has also strengthened its commitment to social responsibility through initiatives such as discounts for students in Afghanistan and international sanitary aid projects.

On the Owlypia website, we have introduced a more user-friendly interface and expanded account features for students. Overall, these developments have strengthened Owlypia from a competition-based experience into a more complete learning ecosystem, where students can prepare, practise, reflect, and apply their skills through one connected platform.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

To experience the Owlypia ecosystem fully, we recommend creating both a student account and a teacher account. Through the teacher account, you can access the LMS and explore Skills for Success, our ten-session Soft Skills Development Programme. Through the student account, you can register for an upcoming Owlypia Online Round, explore curated LMS resources linked to your chosen subject, complete quizzes, and receive instant virtual feedback.

To experience the wider Owlypia community, participants can also join an Owlypia Global Round, a diverse international educational experience that brings students together from around the world.

Implementation steps

Create your Owlypia Account
Head over to the Owlypia website, click 'Log In' and 'Sign Up Now'. Select your role and fill in some details. Activate your account by clicking the activation link sent to your email inbox. Welcome to the world of Owlypia!
Register for an upcoming Round
Register for an upcoming Owlypia Round - Online or Local.
Win a medal to qualify for the Global Round!
Explore LMS
Once you have registered for a Round, click the blue button in the top right corner of the Owlypia website 'Explore LMS'.
Explore and study your resources, including videos, articles, books, influential figures, and movies! These will be based on your chosen Owlypia subject and soft skills development related to our theme of the year 'Self-Awareness'.
Each resource comes with a set of activities to complete.
Participate in the Round
Do your best and take the challenges. If you are participating in the Online Round, you will be taking an online exam at the specified date and time.
If you are participating in the Local Round, head to the Host School for two days to compete in the different individual and team challenges.
Register for Globals
If you have received a medal at your Round, congratulations! You have qualified for the Global Round. Head over to the Owlypia website and register for a Global Round of your choice.
If you have not received a medal, do not worry - head on over to our Step up Zone to redeem yourself!

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