Little green entrepreneurs showcase their products

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Junior Achievement Cyprus proudly announces the outstanding success of the 3rd MindREset Trade Fair, which took place over the weekend. The event brought together 108 student companies from primary and secondary schools, showcasing their innovative ideas to address environmental challenges in the field of plastic.

 

Around 450 students aged 10-14 participated in the 3rd Trade Fair of the “mind REset” programme of Junior Achievement Cyprus, which took place on the 18th and 19th of January 2025 at Metropolis Mall of Larnaca. The young entrepreneurs represented 108 student companies from 37 schools across Cyprus, who presented and sold their innovative products and services to the public.

 

The event was welcomed by the Mayor of Larnaca, Andreas Vyras, Ziannet Hadjiiosif, and Fotini Christopoulou, Inspectors of Secondary and Primary Education respectively, on behalf of the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Theodoulos Mesimeris, Head of Climate Action Unit – Senior Environment Officer, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Georgios Dimitroulakis, Manager at Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Lidl Cyprus and Antigoni Komodiki, CEO of JA Cyprus. The event was honored by the presence of a large audience, as well as the Chief Scientist of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Skourides.

 

The student companies emerged within the framework of the “mind REset” programme, an engaging and interactive initiative offering five modules tailored for 5th and 6th-grade students in Primary School and 1st and 2nd-grade students in Secondary School.  The programme is provided at no cost to both public and private schools across Cyprus and holds approval from the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth and it is fully aligned with Lidl Cyprus’ strategy for reducing plastic.

Designed to immerse students in the realms of environmental entrepreneurship and the circular economy, the program is crafted to instill skills that contribute to the safeguarding and sustainability of the environment.

Throughout the course of the program, students formed teams and were tasked with conceiving a product or service. They meticulously developed and submitted a comprehensive business plan, showcasing their innovative ideas. The culmination of their efforts was presented at the Trade Fair.

A distinguished Jury Committee, comprising experts in the fields of business, innovation, and the environment, meticulously evaluated not only the business plans but also the teams’ presentations during the Trade Fair, conducting insightful interviews to gauge the depth and viability of their projects. The initial jury committee consisted of: Andreas Papallas (Makerspace Larnaca), Georgios Dimitroulakis (LIDL Cyprus), Michalis Kalopaidis (Zedem Media), Zoe Makridou (Terra Cypria), Panayiotis Kakourides (Crowdbase), Aggeliki Haliou (EY), Panos Demetriou (Let’s Do It Cyprus), Anna Charalambous (PwC Cyprus), Varnavas Timotheou (Playful Heroes), Maro Manoli (E-mbracelet) and Harrys Angeli (Hellas Sat.).

The judges’ evaluations determined the 10 finalist teams (5 coming from Primary and 5 from Secondary Schools), who will participate in the Finale and Award Ceremony of the Competition mind REsetters of the Year 2024-2025, taking place on the 19th of February 2025.

The five finalist teams from Secondary School in alphabetical order are:

  • NatureSkin Bags – Apostolos Andreas Empas Gymnasium
  • PeelBran – Stavros Gymnasium
  • PVT PlantVaseTerrarium – Mikis Theodorakis C Musical Gymnasium Larnaca
  • REVIAE – Pancyprian Gymnasium
  • Solar Oven – Pancyprian Gymnasium

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

  • LEAN – Agias Varvaras Primary School
  • Rocking Paints – Agias Varvaras Primary School
  • ΕΠΑΝΕΚΔΟΣΗ – D Aglantzia Primary School
  • ΣτολιΖώ – B Makedonitissa Primary School
  • Υπερήρωες της αλλαΓΗΣ – Polykarpos Vlachos, Zakaki Primary School

These exceptional teams demonstrated not only creativity but also a deep commitment to environmental sustainability. We congratulate all the participants for their hard work and dedication!

The winner of each level will travel to Vienna to participate in JA Austria’s International Trade Fair.

Special thanks to Metropolis Mall of Larnaca for hosting our Trade Fair and to MixFM for the Live Link.

For more information visit our website at www.jacyprus.org or contact the coordinator of the programme, Christoforos Malekos, at +357-96911954 or at christoforos.malekos@jacyprus.org.