ACPELIA-CYPRUS

ACPELIA (Active Cypriot Programs and European Learning Into Acceptance) is a non-profit organization based in Cyprus, established in 2019, with extensive experience in coordinating and implementing European projects focused on youth empowerment, social inclusion, sustainability, digital competences, and non-formal education.

As the coordinator of the project, ACPELIA is responsible for the overall strategic leadership, quality assurance, financial management, and coordination of partners, ensuring the smooth implementation of all activities and the achievement of the project's objectives. With a strong background in Erasmus+ actions (KA1, KA2, KA150, KA153, KA154, KA205), ACPELIA has successfully coordinated and participated in 70+ European projects, working with partners from across Europe and neighboring regions.

ACPELIA brings solid expertise in:

Project design and management
Inclusive and participatory non-formal education methodologies
Youth work with individuals with fewer opportunities
Digital transformation, sustainability, and social innovation
Stakeholder engagement and dissemination at local, national, and European levels

The organization works closely with schools, municipalities, youth centers, universities, NGOs, and local communities, ensuring strong local impact and long-term sustainability of project results. Special emphasis is placed on human rights, equality, intercultural dialogue, mental health, and active citizenship, aligning fully with Erasmus+ priorities and EU Youth Goals.

Through this project, ACPELIA ensures effective transnational cooperation, high-quality learning outcomes, and meaningful participation of young people and youth workers, while guaranteeing that project results are widely disseminated, accessible, and sustainable beyond the project's lifetime.

People of ACPELIA

For this project the following people will be Involved

Nikolas Nikolaou (Project Manager)

Nikolas Nikolaou (president of NGO ACPELIA) plays a central or peripheral role in every project with his expert knowledge. He is successful as a coach and organizer in his personal life..President of ACPELIA (Mr Nikolas Nikolaou, physics teacher in high school, BSC, MSc in Chemical Engineering National Technical University of Athens and MSc, BSc in the University of Cyprus at Physics department) has previous experience by taking part in many seminars and actions related to Environment, Non-Formal Education, Entrepreneurship and Discrimination. He organized and participated in more than 20 European programs which are doing with Non-Formal Education (KA105, KA205, KA229, Youth In Action) as well as several local environmental and Science projects with groups of young people, many of them can be found in his website: www.nikolas-nikolaou.net. Also, Nikolas is coordinating the biggest students and teacher annual Conference about Natural Sciences that is a yearly conference in Cyprus with the participation of more than 1000 students and more than 300 teachers. He manages to coach a team of the organising committee and to make them all do well for 10 years now that is taking place the Conference starting alone and now has a big team to coordinate. Last 2 years he was in the management team for more than 30 KA153YOU and KA152YOU.

Catherine Chudinova—Youth Worker/Game Producer

Hi there! I'm Catherine Chudinova, and I've been living and working in sunny Cyprus for the past 5 years. I'm a game producer with 10+ years of experience creating games with international teams from all over the world. Games aren't just my job—they're my passion, my curiosity, and the thing that inspires me every single day.

I've worked on titles like Blitzkrieg, Life is Feudal, Westland Survival, and Mystery Matters—projects that connect millions of players across the globe. I've created games for PC, mobile, and even board games, exploring nearly every corner of the industry. And here's what I want people to know: games are a massive industry with space for every kind of talent—from coding and deep mathematical systems to narrative design, art, and animation. Games are both business and art, and there's room in this world for anyone to find their passion. I joined Game Change to share what I've learned and help others dive into the amazing world of game creation. Let's build something unforgettable together!

Dmitry Sergeev, Game Designer / Youth Worker

Hello! My name is Dmitry Sergeev, and for the past 5 years I've been calling sunny Cyprus my home. I work as a Narrative Designer, bringing over 7 years of experience in crafting stories, building worlds, and shaping player emotions through interactive storytelling. My journey in game development has taken me across formats and genres: I contributed to Clockmaker and Age of Magic, wrote narratives for PC and Mobile games, and even created a series of detective board games. I love exploring how stories transform when players step inside them. Games are a new form of art — interactive, immersive, and capable of uniting people, challenging perspectives, and simply delivering joy. They blend imagination, design, and technology into something uniquely powerful. I joined Game Change to share my experience, meet fellow creators, and build unforgettable stories together. Let's bring fresh worlds and characters to life!

Gita Vaskelyte (Management/Research Team)

Gita Vaškelytė is a youth worker, project coordinator, writer and president of Meraki LT, an NGO focused on empowering communities and supporting social change. After completing her studies in social work, she started working with young people, organizing activities and programs to support their growth and well-being. She is actively involved in various projects, youth exchanges and training initiatives. She recently joined the NGO ACPELIA as a Project Manager and has worked in more than 10 KA1s, successfully managing and coordinating international initiatives. Gita is passionate about promoting inclusion, building connections and empowering young people to reach their full potential through creativity and collaboration.

Boghos (Bobbie) Avetikian (Youthworker)

A 27-year old Armenian-cypriot youth worker. While a non-formal educator at heart, through his extensive experience, Bobbie always had a keen interest in the intersection of gaming and learning. Bobbie holds a Bachelor's degree in English and Communications, from the University of Armenia, where he completed said degree with a bachelor's thesis on the intersectionality between games and meaning making, going so far as using the 2007 video game "The World Ends with You" at the core of his thesis.

His work examined the ways games engage players, promote critical thinking, and teach complex concepts in immersive and enjoyable ways. Bobbie believes in the importance of simple yet powerful game mechanics, storytelling, and player interaction, using them to enhance learning outcomes and foster skills for youth and adults alike.

Bobbie is currently a youth worker in Cyprus, focusing on topics such as youth engagement, sustainability, digital skills and storytelling techniques. Yes, this is real, I actually did write my 60 page diplomatiki on videogames J

Thesis link (maybe you can link it)

https://baec.aua.am/files/2021/10/Boghos-Avetikian-Meaning-Making-in-The-World-Ends-with-You.docx

Stavriana Kountoureti / youth worker

I am a 21-year-old sociology student from Cyprus with a strong interest in youth work, non-formal education, and creative learning. Over the past few years, I have participated in multiple Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and Training Courses, which have helped me understand how young people learn, communicate, and collaborate in diverse settings. These experiences also showed me how effective games and playful methods can be in making learning more engaging and meaningful. I genuinely enjoy game-based learning and would love to create my own educational games in the future, games that combine youth work values with opportunities to gain knowledge and real-life skills in a fun and accessible way.

Michalis Chatzimarkou / Youth Worker

Michalis Chatzimarkou is a 19-year-old university student currently participating in an Erasmus project. Through this experience, he aims to expand his academic knowledge, develop international perspectives, and actively engage in cross-cultural collaboration.

Stavros Stavrinidis / Youth Worker

I'm a 25-year-old youth worker based in Cyprus. I have participated in nine Erasmus+ projects as a participant, gaining strong experience in non-formal education, intercultural learning, and international collaboration. Coming from a creative background, shaped by my work in photography, I'm a highly visual and creative person. I've always been interested in games and have long wanted to create a game myself, especially as a tool for engagement, interaction, and learning. My interests focus on creative learning methods, play, and storytelling, and how these can be used to create meaningful and engaging experiences in youth work.