When children’s ideas show the way to a sustainable tomorrow: The 4th mindREset Trade Fair of JA Cyprus left its imprint.

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Laughter, discussions, impromptu presentations, and dozens of small booths full of green ideas. On the weekend  of January 24 and 25, 2026, the Metropolis Mall of Larnaca was transformed into a vibrant space for student creation, hosting the 4th Trade Fair of the mindREset programme of Junior Achievement Cyprus. The programme is implemented with the strategic partnership of Lidl Cyprus institutional collaboration of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth and it is under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.

More than 300 students aged 10–14 took on  the role of entrepreneurs, presenting to the public products and services born out of reflection, collaboration and imagination. This year, the theme of the Exhibition focused on conserving resources and reducing food waste, demonstrating how major environmental challenges can be approached through simple,  smart and actionable ideas.

The Trade Fair was  attended by 62 student companies from 24 schools (11 Primary and 13 Secondary Schools) from all over Cyprus. Each booth told its own story: from the first “what problem do we want to solve?” to the final product, pricing and communication with the public. The students did not just present ideas; they defended them,  They explained them and tested them in practice.

The student companies were created in the framework of the “mind REset” programme, a modern and interactive educational program of five modules, specially designed for students of the fifth and sixth grades of primary school and the first and second grades of Gymnasium. The program is implemented nationwide free of charge by Junior Achievement Cyprus, in collaboration with Lidl Cyprus, which is a sponsor of the programme and a strategic partner, actively supporting the responsible management of resources.

During the two days, the teams were evaluated by  a specialized jury, both for their business plan and for their presence at the Trade Fair. For the students, this process was a unique learning experience: they learned to receive feedback, answer questions and see their idea through the eyes of others. The members of the initial jury were:  Andreas Papallas (Makerspace Larnaca), Afrodite Magou (The Cyprus Institute), Stefanos Rammos (Lidl), Elena Prokopiou (MOEC), Michalis Kalopaidis (Zedem Media), Zoe Makridou (Terra Cypria), Panayiotis Filippou (FoodFlow), Natali Kafantari (The Cyprus Institute), Panos Dimitriou (Let’s Do It Cyprus), Maria Malla (Kafeneio Angeloktistis), Nikos Lysigakis (Lidl) and Marios Pafitis (Fooderloo).

The 4th mindREset Trade Show attracted a large number of visitors and was broadcast live by the radio station Mix FM 102.3, giving the opportunity to even more to get to know the ideas and vision of the new generation.

From this route, the ten finalist teams stood out: five from the elementary school level and five from the high school level, which will continue their journey to the “mindREsetters of the Year 2025–2026” Final Competition and Award Ceremony, which will take place on February 13, 2026.

 

The five finalist teams from the Junior High School level in alphabetical order are:

  • AROMA NEST – Agios Antonios Gymnasium
  • coffeeXnature – Anthoupoleos Gymnasium
  • Crispy Peel – Pancyprian Gymnasium
  • LEMONAID – Engomi Gymnasium – Kyriakos Neokleous
  • Reglow – Kokkinochoria Gymnasium – Panos Ioannou

The five finalist teams from the Primary High School level in alphabetical order are:

  • BioSpark – Kato Polemidia B’ Primary School
  • FoodSaver App – Agia Varvara Primary School
  • GONANAZ – The Junior School
  • TIME2FRESH – Dasoupoli Primary School (KB)
  • Wasted Chicken House – Agia Varvara Primary School

 

These teams demonstrated not only creativity but also a deep commitment to environmental sustainability. Junior Achievement Cyprus congratulates all participants for their hard work, cooperation and dedication.

The winning team of each level will win an educational experience abroad. Special thanks to Metropolis Mall Larnaca, for kindly hosting our Trade Fair, as well as to the MixFM radio station  for the live broadcast of the event.

For more information visit our website www.jacyprus.org or contact the programme manager, Christoforos Malekos at christoforos.malekos@jacyprus.org  email.