If someone told you that from the thousands of cigarette butts that we see, unfortunately, everywhere, from parks and streets to our beautiful beaches, there would be enough ink to fill a pen and be used properly, would you believe them?

What if someone told you that eggshells can be used to make a highly nutritious food supplement for dogs?

The above may seem odd to some, but it is not. This is because they are just two of the original ideas that were not only conceived but also implemented by students in Cyprus. They set up their own businesses, worked as a team, found the idea, worked on it, implemented it, reached the desired result, and stood out.

All these can come through through the innovative programs implemented by Junior Achievement Cyprus (JA) that give students and schools the opportunity to create, work and see in practice how a business works. Original and creative projects, through which children of different ages are invited to learn and develop skills that, regardless of their future career path, will help them significantly and give them the opportunity to get to know their own abilities.

When the students’ businesses are completed, the JA Student Business Fair is organized, where the businesses of the students and the schools participating in the program are presented and, of course, evaluated.

This year, the 10th trade fair takes place this weekend at The Mall of Cyprus (Latsia, Nicosia), where around 350 students aged 15-19 from 29 schools across Cyprus, with the support of 78 teachers, will present their work and, of course, their original business ideas.