Inspiring the Youth of Today
Together

Member of JA Worldwide

Junior Achievement Cyprus is a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide, the world’s largest non-profit organisation dedicated to addressing fundamental social and economic challenges of young people by educating and empowering them to transform their future and own their economic success.

JA Cyprus was established in 2011 and, two years later, introduced the flagship Company Programme – endorsed as a best practice by the European Commission – in high schools across the island. Today, JA offers five educational programmes that target approximately 2500 students per year.

JA Cyprus is a partnership between the business community, educators, mentors, volunteers and alumni — working together to inspire young people to dream big and reach their potential. Through the delivery of cutting-edge, experiential learning in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship, JA Cyprus effectively broadens the canvas of possibility for young people and enriches their ability to both engage in their own economic development and contribute to the strength of their families, communities, and economies.

Our programmes and activities welcome students of all ages, from primary school to higher education. The synergy of entrepreneurial teachers, motivated business mentors and high-quality content are key success factors to the JA student experience. Any student, at any age, should have access to the best opportunities for active participation in business and community life. We believe that every young person can achieve success in today’s global economy. The progression model at JA shows how young people’s learning journey can be gradual, with new experiences reinforcing previous learning and challenging them on to the next stage of development. The knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired along the JA learning path impact three main areas: entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy.

JA Cyprus collaborates with JA Europe, the European Regional Operating Centre for JA Worldwide®.

Meet the staff that leads JA Cyprus’ initiatives

serving more than one thousand young entrepreneurs across the island

Antigoni Komodiki

CEO

She is currently working at JA Cyprus as the Chief Executive Officer, trying to develop students’ entrepreneurial skills.

Antigoni has been working as a primary education teacher for the last 16 years. Aside from her degree in Teaching, she holds an MA in Educational Leadership and a PGCE in Gifted Education.

At the moment, she is a PhD student studying Entrepreneurship Education at the Cyprus University of Technology.

In 2017 she received the National Award for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship and represented Cyprus at the European Awards for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship.

She is currently working at JA Cyprus as the Chief Executive Officer, trying to develop students’ entrepreneurial skills.

Emily Sotiriou

Programme Coordinator

Emily supports that entrepreneurship is the key towards the next generation’s best development, both academically and professionally.

Emily supports that entrepreneurship is the key towards the next generation’s best development, both academically and professionally. Junior Achievement Cyprus’ mission responds to one of her biggest goals in life; to inspire and help young people to dream big and to discover their potential towards their professional success in the world economy. As a psychology graduate and an educational advisor, she has experience in the field of education and she believes that a community’s future relies on young people and thus their development is of high importance. She believes that Junior Achievement makes a huge impact on students offering them great knowledge and experience and preparing them for a successful future.

In her free time, Emily enjoys dance and sports and she loves travelling. She is also taking part in various events for helping other people in need. Something that really characterizes her is her passion for life and her belief that we can gain knowledge from every situation.

Elena Procopiou

Project Coordinator

She considers Entrepreneurship as one of the most important input in the economic development of a country and also a key to the solution of many social problems.

Elena is a qualified Primary Education Teacher and an English Language Teacher. She has been working with students of all ages for seven years. She has also been part of the European programme DRA.S.E ‘Actions for School and Social Integration’ which is supported by the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture.

She considers Entrepreneurship as one of the most important input in the economic development of a country and also a key to the solution of many social problems. As an experienced educator, she believes that Junior Achievement prepares the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, those that they can change the way we live and work. Her vision includes the preparation of young people towards a responsible and sustainable way of living, including the investment in society, in the natural resources and the environment.

The Board

Andreas Papadopoulos

Chairman, Head of Strategy Hellenic Bank Group

Constantinos Loizides

Non-Executive Director, AstroBank

Nasia Papazachariou-Agapiou

Board Member, Innovation and Idea Development Officer, Cyta

Evgenios Evgeniou

Board Member, CEO of PwC Cyprus

Andreas Koupparis

Board Member, Chairman of Cyprus Business Angels Network (CyBAN)

Varnavas Theodosiou

Board Member, CEO of ExxonMobil Cyprus