AKKA Silver Jubilee World Kannada Conference 2026
Get ready for an exciting new experience created exclusively for AKKA youth!
AKKA Team Olympics 2026 is a first-of-its-kind youth leadership, adventure, and innovation experience designed to help students discover their strengths, build confidence, create meaningful friendships, and develop lifelong leadership skills.
Over two action-packed days, participants will work in diverse teams, take on exciting challenges, explore Philadelphia, solve problems, experience adventure-based learning, and discover the power of teamwork, communication, technology, innovation, and Kannada culture.
Adventure, leadership, teamwork and innovation — all in one unforgettable experience.
Develop leadership and teamwork skills
Build confidence and independence
Strengthen communication and collaboration
Practice critical thinking and creative problem solving
Experience rock climbing and adventure education
Explore Philadelphia through an exciting team scavenger hunt
Take on innovation, STEM and AI challenges
Build friendships with students from across North America
Celebrate Kannada culture and community
Gain meaningful experiences for future college, scholarship and internship applications
More than entertainment — an investment in your child's growth and future.
Build confidence in a supportive environment
Develop leadership and communication skills
Learn teamwork through experiential activities
Strengthen decision-making and problem-solving abilities
Participate in structured, professionally facilitated programs
Connect with peers from across North America
Become more independent and comfortable working with new people
Create lasting friendships and unforgettable memories
Build experiences that can enhance future student portfolios and applications
Parents can feel confident knowing their children are participating in an educational, engaging, structured and purpose-driven youth program centered on leadership, teamwork, adventure, innovation and personal development.
Every participant will receive an official AKKA Team Olympics Certificate of Participation & Skills Achievement recognizing successful completion of the program.
College Applications • Student Portfolios • Leadership Resumes • Internship Applications • Scholarship Applications • Youth Achievement Records
The first 100 participants won't simply attend an event — they will help launch a new AKKA youth tradition.
AKKA Team Olympics is envisioned to become a signature leadership experience at future AKKA World Kannada Conferences, bringing young Kannadigas together through teamwork, adventure, innovation, technology, leadership and culture.
Be among the first to experience it.
Experienced leaders bringing together team development, innovation, technology and culture.
Badari Ambatti is a Columbia Business School Alumni, inspiring thousands of students and professionals through experiential team building, project-based leadership, and innovation programs that empower individuals to lead with confidence, collaboration, and purpose.
Dr. Anupama Gowda is a technocultural strategist shaping innovation ecosystems for genuine access and belonging. She brings 20+ years of experience building in India and the US, is co-founder of Bangalore's first public FabLab, and is an architect of research-led workforce programs.
Her PhD focuses on wearable technologies, data translation, and trust. She specialises in designing frameworks where innovation centers cultural agency.
Everything parents and participants need to know before registering.
AKKA Team Olympics is open to youth ages 12–17 only. Participants must meet the age requirement to participate.
Yes. The 2026 AKKA Team Olympics is the inaugural event and is designed to establish a new leadership and experiential-learning tradition for future AKKA World Kannada Conferences.
The first 100 participants will have the unique opportunity to be part of launching this experience.
Yes. Participants may register as an existing team or as an individual participant. Individual registrants will be placed on a team.
Once teams are formed, participants are expected to remain with their assigned team throughout the competition.
Only 100 participant spots are available. Registration is first-come, first-served. Once the first 100 spots are filled, additional participants will be placed on a waitlist.
The program fee supports delivery of the two-day experiential program and associated activities.
Saturday, September 5, 2026
8:30 AM Reporting Time • 4:30 PM End Time
Sunday, September 6, 2026
8:30 AM Reporting Time • 4:30 PM End Time
Participants must participate in both full days.
Movement Callowhill
1010 Callowhill St.
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Phone: (215) 444-7625
Participants will also travel to designated Philadelphia locations as part of the Scavenger Hunt and city exploration challenges.
The program combines four major experience areas:
Yes. Morning breakfast and/or bag lunch will be provided at Movement Callowhill, depending on the day's schedule.
Participants should still bring their own water bottles and any snacks they may need.
Phones should be sufficiently charged each morning.
Parents/guardians must complete all required participation and liability documentation, including the Movement climbing liability release.
This is designed as an investment in youth development, not simply a weekend of entertainment. Participants will have opportunities to build confidence, leadership, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creative problem solving and independence.
Students will work with peers from across North America while experiencing adventure education, Philadelphia exploration, STEM, AI, innovation and Kannada culture.
Students can discuss their Team Olympics experiences in future college applications, scholarship applications, student portfolios, leadership resumes, internship applications, community service records and youth achievement portfolios.
Yes. Participants who successfully complete the program will receive an official AKKA Team Olympics Certificate of Participation & Skills Achievement.
The certificate recognizes participation and program learning; it does not represent a professional certification.
Yes. The Team Olympics is designed as a two-day integrated team experience. All competing teams are expected to participate on Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6.
No. Once teams are established, participants are expected to stay with their assigned team throughout the program so they can develop communication, collaboration and problem-solving skills together.
Participants should plan to dedicate both days to the Team Olympics. Because the program includes team activities, scheduled travel, challenges and competitions, participants will not be able to leave their assigned team to attend other programming during the Team Olympics schedule.
Yes. The program is designed and facilitated as a structured youth experiential-learning experience with designated facilitators and activity leaders.
Parents/guardians must complete the necessary participation and liability forms before the event.
AKKA Team Olympics is organized and facilitated by Divergent Team Builders, in collaboration with AKKA leadership and program facilitators.
Team Olympics brings together five dimensions of youth development: Adventure, Teamwork, Innovation, Technology and Kannada Culture.
It is designed as an experience where culture meets technology, adventure meets leadership and teamwork meets innovation.
Partnership opportunities can support student scholarships, STEM/AI activities, team-building materials, food and refreshments, awards and recognition, technology resources, educational experiences and student leadership initiatives.
General AKKA Team Olympics Questions
Roopa Thathaprakash — Roopa@divergentteambulders.com
Badari Ambatti — Badari07@gmail.com
Techno-Culture Questions
Dr. Anupama Gowda — anugowda.c@gmail.com
LIMITED TO THE FIRST 100 PARTICIPANTS
Adventure. Teamwork. Leadership. Innovation.
Technology. Kannada Culture.
Spaces Are Limited!
One unforgettable AKKA experience. 🚀 🏆 🌎