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Of all the presentations, those from young people themselves struck me the most. Four young people from the UK, Australia, Jordan and Busan were asked to attend and deliver speeches based on the theme 'We are the Now'. They each brought humour, fun and intelligence as they spoke of participating in sporting activities and programmes which enhanced their lives and unlocked opportunities which would otherwise be unavailable to them.

It was from one of them that I learnt of Busan's education system. The highly competitive nature of education in Busan means that children in 5th /6th grade have to make decisions on whether to continue a career in sport or pursue a formal education. This student was Minjee Park from the Busan International high school, she very courageously brought this to the attention of the delegates in a very passionate presentation revealing the way sport helped her overcome sever asthma and how she faced the prospect of giving it up due to a system that simply made it too difficult to continue.

Natalie Moore, a Starting Block Trainee at London 2012, spoke of how teaching other students dance and aerobics at school paved the way for an opportunity to work with the Education team at London 2012 and helped her discover a love of education but from the other side. If today's generation don't like school or learning the way we used to do it, then it only make sense to look at what they do like to do and incorporate that into learning. What young person doesn't like games or music, painting or dancing?

There was little talk of culture itself over the 3 days other than about cultural differences. A student from Jordon's 'Sport for Peace' camp by simply being there embodied why tensions arising from cultural differences need to be resolved – for peace. If sport can help teach that, then why not encourage more camps with more activities? It's what kids like to do but with a little extra hope.

To see sport, culture and education illustrated by the very generation this forum was designed to help was inspiring. The Cultural Olympiad and the Education Programme will be lasting legacies of the Games if, as the student from Australia quoted, we trust them and empower them - they will be our messengers.