15 October 2026, Brussels
Junior Achievement (JA) Europe is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2026 JA Europe Teacher of the Year Award, celebrating outstanding educators who have made a lasting impact in the field of entrepreneurship education across Europe.
After a highly competitive selection process, the jury—comprising Lena Burlutska, Director of Industrial Engineering EMEA Region at UPS; Sandrine Lagrost, Director of Sales UK, Ireland and the Nordics at UPS; Pietro Berte, Strategic Partnerships Manager at UniCredit Foundation; and Natalia Rybak, Teacher of the Year 2025—selected three remarkable teachers whose creativity, dedication and impact exemplify excellence in fostering entrepreneurial mindsets among young people.
1st place: Giuseppe Massimo Bucca
2nd place: Maryna Panchenko
3rd place: Nino Lomidze
Chelsea Allison, Vice President Human Resources at UPS EMEA, stated: “Great teachers do far more than deliver lessons. They help young people discover their potential, building the confidence, curiosity and resilience to thrive in a rapidly changing world. At UPS and The UPS Foundation, we are proud to celebrate educators whose lasting impact empowers young people and strengthens communities.”
Salvatore Nigro, CEO of JA Europe, said: “At JA Europe, we know that every entrepreneurial journey begins with someone who believes a young person can turn an idea into something real. This year’s winners show what that belief looks like in practice: building student companies, sharing their methods with fellow educators, and opening new opportunities for young people in Italy, Ukraine and Georgia. Investing in teachers is one of the most effective ways to prepare Europe’s next generation, and UPS has been a committed partner in recognising the people who make that happen.”
Meet the 2026 Award Winners
1st place: Giuseppe Massimo Bucca
Giuseppe Massimo Bucca is a technical teacher at the Ettore Majorana Technical Institute in Milazzo, Sicily, where, for more than ten years, he has coordinated entrepreneurship education activities with Junior Achievement. Through the JA Company Programme, he helps students turn real problems into ideas, prototypes and entrepreneurial projects, combining teamwork, technology, and learning beyond the classroom.
Under his coordination, three student teams became Italian national champions and represented Italy at European JA competitions in Lisbon (2020), Istanbul (2023) and Riga (2026). He was named JA Italia Teacher of the Year in 2020 and received the Lifelong Achievement Award in 2022. He is also an active Entrepreneurial Skills Pass teacher and regularly shares tools and practices with colleagues. His work focuses on helping young people build confidence, resilience, and the courage to turn ideas into opportunities.
2nd place: Maryna Panchenko
Maryna Panchenko is a teacher at Bila Tserkva Applied Humanitarian Pedagogical College with 24 years of teaching experience. For three consecutive years, she has been a member of the JA Ukraine educator network, delivering the JA Company Programme and the Financial Literacy Programme.
Maryna introduced entrepreneurship education at her college and developed the Company Programme as a voluntary extracurricular initiative. Despite having no previous business background, she systematically mastered the JA methodology and applied it in her work with students. Under her mentorship, six mini companies have been created, with participation growing from one team in the first year to four teams operating in the third.
Her teams have won Entrepreneurship Camps and regional JA competitions, reached the National Junior Business Day final, and participated in international activities in Estonia and Lithuania. Student-created products developed under her guidance continue beyond the academic year and are used by educators to teach financial literacy and time-management skills.
Maryna also trains teachers and shares her experience of learning by doing. Her students created the “Money Talks” educational series, which gained more than 7,000 views within two weeks. As she teaches future primary-school and preschool educators, her work has the potential to influence future generations of learners.
3rd place: Nino Lomidze
Nino Lomidze is a Business Management Specialist, Mentor Teacher and Entrepreneurship Educator from Georgia, with more than ten years of teaching experience. In 2026, she was named Georgia’s Outstanding Entrepreneurship Teacher of the Year for her contribution to entrepreneurship education and student development.
She began her teaching career in 2015 at School AC, where she teaches mathematics and the Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship. Since 2016, she has actively collaborated with Junior Achievement Georgia, helping students develop entrepreneurial, financial and practical business skills.
An important part of Nino’s work is teaching and mentoring students from communities located close to the Administrative Boundary Line with Georgia’s occupied South Ossetia/Tskhinvali region, where young people face additional social and economic challenges. Through entrepreneurship education, she creates opportunities for them to build confidence, develop practical skills, and envision new possibilities for their future.
Over the past decade, Nino has mentored dozens of student mini companies, many of which have been recognised as winners and finalists in national competitions. She also supports fellow educators through training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, social entrepreneurship, and media literacy.
Nino is committed to helping students discover their potential, think independently and critically, and become confident, responsible, and active members of society.
JA Europe extends its heartfelt thanks to UPS for its continued partnership and generous support of the Teacher of the Year Award. This collaboration makes it possible to recognise and celebrate the educators who play a vital role in shaping Europe’s entrepreneurial future.
About JA Europe
JA Europe is the largest and leading organisation in Europe dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed. For over 100 years, JA Worldwide has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial health.
About UPS Foundation
The UPS Foundation leads UPS’s global citizenship and philanthropy efforts, focusing on building safer, more resilient, and healthier communities worldwide. Their work is guided by four core priorities: Health & Humanitarian Relief, Economic Empowerment, Local Community Engagement, and Planet Protection. These priorities shape a strategic approach that combines UPS’s logistics expertise, employee volunteerism, and financial including in-kind support to deliver meaningful, measurable impact.
