The John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, aiming at the development of skills and a culture of entrepreneurship at all levels of education, has launched a new collaboration with the educational non-profit organisation Junior Achievement Greece, which aims to introduce experiential entrepreneurship education into the educational process. In this context, the school year 2021-2022 was marked by the implementation, with the support of the Foundation, of the “Company Junior” programme, an innovative educational programme for students aged 11-15 (5thgrade of primary school to 3rd grade of secondary school). The aim of the Programme, which forms part of the Skills Workshops of the Institute of Educational Policy in the Thematic Axis: “Creating and Innovating – Creative Thinking and Initiative”, is to develop a set of competences and skills such as team spirit, good time management and taking initiatives, the cultivation of entrepreneurial thinking, and familiarisation with the concept of active citizenship. The Programme develops around a group experiential activity in which students, with the help of mentors-volunteers, are invited to create a blueprint for an innovative “virtual business” that will solve a contemporary social and/or environmental problem, combining a wide range of curricular subjects and objectives, such as IT, New Technologies and Sustainable Development.

• During the school year 2021-2022, the Programme was implemented in 50 school units in Greece and abroad, with the participation of 1,600 students, 64 teachers and 54 mentors-volunteers.
• 18 school units participated in the 17th National Student Competition with 29 teams-business ideas.

“We are the ‘Inventors’ team from the 4th Primary School of Voula and within the framework of the ‘Company Junior’ programme we created a virtual company called ‘MPS’. Studying the rapid growth of e-commerce and after months of research we noticed the great need for a change in packaging. We designed and created the homonymous MPS (PolyMorphic Packaging System) product: a customisable packaging product consisting of sides and edges. We shared roles, became familiar with the basics of running a business and learned how to use methodologies such as Design Thinking. Through our roles we got to know the specifics and requirements of each position, and the experience gained will be a valuable asset for our future.”

George Linardakis
First Grade student, Vouliagmeni Junior High School
1st Prize, 17th Greek National Student Competition “Best Virtual Company 2022” 

“On top of it being an outstanding partnership, our collaboration with the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation is also particularly constructive for the thorough continuation of our programmes. Through this partnership and the ‘Company Junior’ programme we have managed to extend our activities to the 11-15 age group, empowering children with valuable skills and creating a solid foundation for them to enter the ‘Virtual Company’ programme. We have seen, on the basis of tangible results, that the earlier we provide children with the right stimuli and tools, the more choices we create for their future and this is what we are putting into practice through the ‘Company Junior’ programme.”

Argiris Tzikopoulos
CEO, Junior Achievement Greece