Summary Plan Template

Summary Plan Template


Ohio STEP

SUMMARY PLAN TEMPLATE

2025-2026 

NOTE:  DELETE ALL TEXT IN RED BEFORE SUBMITTING TO YOUR TEACHER.

 

Expectations:

 

●     
You will use the information from the Action Steps under each SECTION in ProjectBoard to compile your final report.

●     
Reports must be typed.

●     
Write in paragraph form.

●     
Be clear and concise.

●     
Proofread carefully.

●     
Please avoid using personal pronouns in the text.

●     
The title should reflect the contents of the report.

●     
Number all pages except for the cover sheet (which is page 1).

●     
Upload your completed Plan as a Word docx or pdf into the ProjectBoard Submission Template if you are entering the Ohio STEP competition.

 

 

Format of Summary
:

 

  • Use the section headings (in black) from this template in the order provided.

·      
Length of summary: up to 5 page The number of pages is a guide and not a mandatory number. Use the target number of pages (5) plus or minus 1-2 pages for the page length as long as all requirements are met, and the plan is concisely written.

●     
Summary may be single or 1.5-spaced.

●     
Type all pages "flush left” with 1” margins. Do not justify paragraphs (i.e., stretch type to left & right margins).

●     
Font size of at least 10 points; preferably 12 points for better legibility except in tables or on graphs, sketches, or engineering drawings.

●     
We recommend 10, 11, or 12 point Times New Roman, Century Schoolbook, Arial, Calibri, or Myriad Pro

●     
Do not break pages between headings
. Section headings do not need to be numbered.

●     
Type continuously beginning with Part 2
.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FORMAT FOR COVER PAGE - INSERT YOUR ACTUAL INFORMATION IN BLACK.

Although the Cover Page is the first page, do not type page number on the Cover Page.  The Cover Page is not included in the total paper length.

 

Part 1.   Cover Page with Elevator Pitch

 

●     
Line 1 Type your full name (if team, type name of each team member separated by a comma)

●     
Line 2 Type your current grade level (if team, type grade of each person as above with commas).

●     
Lines 3-4 Type your project title (i.e., Plan name) in Italics.

●     
Line 5 Judging category (
Summary and Pitch Video
)

●     
Leave Line 6 blank. 

●     
Lines 7-9 Type Elevator Pitch here (add additional lines as needed, maximum of 3 sentences).

 

An elevator pitch is a SHORT, written summary that describes how your idea can improve the lives of others. Your pitch should interest potential buyers, investors, or collaborators.  A pitch is meant to be completed in the time it takes to ride an elevator!

 

Use your Action Steps and copy the elevator pitch you created following the “Pitch Guidelines” and using the “Pitch Builder Graphic Organizer”.  

 

The following is an example for someone competing as an individual:

 

Part 1.   Cover Page with Elevator Pitch

 

Ms. Carol A. Smith

11

Autopencil

Summary

 

Elevator Pitch:
 

Approximately 84% of school aged students have issues with maintaining ample lead in a traditional wooden pencil. By harnessing the law of action and reaction in motion, Autopencil automatically feeds lead through a self-rotating spring, activated by the user's pressure. With its user-friendly design, Autopencil facilitates a seamless writing experience, enabling increased time on task and enhanced focus, while minimizing interruptions caused by broken lead. 

 

The following is an example for a group competing as a team:

 

Part 1.   Cover Page with Elevator Pitch

 

Ms. Carol A. Smith, Mr. Conner H. Jones, Ms. Sally R. Brown

11, 12, 10

Autopencil

Summary

 

Elevator Pitch:
 

Approximately 84% of school aged students have issues with maintaining ample lead in a traditional wooden pencil. By harnessing the law of action and reaction in motion, Autopencil automatically feeds lead through a self-rotating spring, activated by the user's pressure. With its user-friendly design, Autopencil facilitates a seamless writing experience, enabling increased time on task and enhanced focus, while minimizing interruptions caused by broken lead. 

 

Part 2.  Problem / Solution

 

Length = @ ½ -1 page

 

This part includes a discussion of the identified problem, target customers, and proposed solution sections in ProjectBoard.

 

Use your Action Step information to:

 

●      
Summarize the problem you plan to address.

●      
Describe why the problem exists based on evidence from your research.

●       
Write a short summary that describes your target customers, intended users, and the magnitude of the problem.

●      
Write a short summary that describes your proposed solution and how it functions. 

●      
Discuss survey/interview results.

 

Part 3.  STEM Research

 

Length = @1 - 2 pages

 

If your proposed solution is based on several STEM concepts, focus on 1-3 key concepts.

 

This part includes a discussion of the Action Steps from: the STEM Research section in ProjectBoard. Use your graphic organizers and Action Step information to:

 

●     
Write a description of why (background) these STEM concepts are important to your proposed solution and how (application) they are used in developing your solution. 

●     
Make sure to cite your information as you write your paragraphs. 

●     
Describe the design of your prototype.

●     
Include a labeled drawing of your prototype (product or app only).

●     
Explain how your prototype functions (product or app only).

●     
List the process for how you will operate your service based on the greatest customer need you identified from your survey or interviews. (service only).

 

Part 4.  Commercialization

 

Length = 1 - 2 pages

 

This part includes a discussion of the Action Steps from:  Competitors, Value Proposition, Expected Revenues, and Costs sections in ProjectBoard. Use your Action Step information to:

 

●     
Write a short summary under each of the headings below.

 

Competitors:

 

Customer value proposition & competitive advantage:

 

Revenue streams expected:

 

Start-up and operating costs expected:
 

 

●      
Use the Start-up and Operating Costs worksheet to guide your discussion.                     

 

Part 5.  Overall Conclusion

 

●      
Write a summary sentence justifying WHY, based on all the information you provided in this section, your product/service should be entered into the consumer market. Cite all pieces of information that are not your own thoughts, ideas, or words.

●     
Include supporting figures such as data tables, graphs, sketches, measured drawings, flow charts for app development, photographs of models or prototypes, computer models, or mathematical models. 

●     
Include proper labels, captions, attributions, and legends for all figures. Reference these in your text.

●     
You must give credit to the sources of illustrations unless you create them.

●     
Avoid using copyright or trademark/service marked illustrations for which you do not have permission.  If permission is granted, indicate Copyright © and owner and date, or trademark/ service owner and date.

 

Part 6.  Acknowledgements:

 

●      
Identify and thank those who helped you and describe what they did.

 

Part 7.  References Cited:

 

References are not included in the total paper length count and must be included in the paper. Do NOT use a link to an outside document.

 

●     
Use either MLA or APA citation formatting, the formatting should be consistent for the entire paper. 

●     
Provide both In-text citations as well as a list of cited references at the end of your Plan. 

●     
Copy the reference information from your STEM Research Graphic Organizer to fill in this section.  

●     
Arrange entries alphabetically by the last name of the first author.  

●     
All web references must cite the accessed date and include a fully retrievable URL.

●     
All AI generated reference information must include both in-text citations and be included in the references cited.

 

Examples:

 

Here is an example of how to cite a web reference that you might access online through search engines such as http://scholar.google.com/
:

 

. 2003. Gold Nanoparticles:  Assembly, Supramolecular Chemistry, Quantum-Size-Related Properties, and Applications toward Biology, Catalysis, and Nanotechnology. Chem. Rev., 2004, 104 (1): 293–346. Accessed 01 Dec 2019:

 

●     
This is how an entry would appear if you had a physical copy of the publication:

 

2003. Gold Nanoparticles:  Assembly, Supramolecular Chemistry, Quantum-Size-Related Properties, and Applications toward Biology, Catalysis, and Nanotechnology. Chem. Rev., 2004, 104 (1): 293–346.

 

 

Here is an example of how to cite an AI generated reference within your text and in your references cited section using ChatGPT in APA style:

 

When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

 

The reference and in-text citations for ChatGPT in the example above are formatted as follows:

 

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

 

  • Parenthetical citation:
     (OpenAI, 2023)
  • Narrative citation:
     OpenAI (2023)

for a detailed description of the process and how to address the four elements (author, date, title, and source) of the reference. For example, the date is the year of the version of ChatGPT that you used.

 

You may also put the full text of long responses from ChatGPT in an appendix of your paper or in online supplemental materials, so readers have access to the exact text that was generated.

 

Example:

 

When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).

 

Reference

 

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

 

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