OUR PROGRAM @
University of Nicosia (UNIC)
stories and experiences
meet their stories
Crossing Cultures for Mentoring: Understanding the significance of Guidance and Support
Coming from Mozambique, a country that is often underrepresented on the internationalscale, I grew up immersed in diverse communities from being in international schools. Thisbackground helped shape my ability to adapt to new environments, yet it did not make thetransition to moving and studying in Cyprus any easier. Being surrounded
Embracing inclusivity and Ethical Awareness: Kyriakos’s experience as a Mentor
Having the opportunity to serve as a mentor through Bridges by Mentors helped me further embrace the concept of inclusivity, cultural differences and increased my ethical awareness. Working with children from vulnerable populations and difficult backgrounds was challenging. Some of the children had language barriers that made communication more difficult,
Enrique’s unique experience at Hope for Children!
My name is Enrique Kattou, and I am a psychology graduate from Cyprus. My journey with Bridges by Mentors began in the summer of 2025, when I joined the project through a volunteering opportunity at Hope for Children. At first, I viewed it as a chance to contribute, meet people
Mentoring for Inclusion: Building Confidence Through Meaningful Interaction
Social Element’s participation in the mentoring programme, was an extremely positive and useful experience. The involvement of university students as mentors, provided an opportunity for our participants (people with intellectual disabilities), to interact with youth and to develop important communication and social skills. The Bridges by Mentor’s activities, provided our
Enhancing Social and Personal Skills in Youth: Outcomes of the Bridges by Mentors Project
The collaboration between ‘’Hope for Children’’ CRC Policy Center CRC Policy Center andthe University of Nicosia (UNIC) under the “Bridges by Mentors” project has been avaluable and impactful initiative. The implementation of a structured group mentoringprogram provided a meaningful framework for engaging youth aged 12–18 throughinteractive and experiential activities. The
Learning to Understand, Not Just Observe: Angelique’s story
During my time with Hope For Children, organized by Bridges by Mentors in Nicosia, Ifaced challenges that pushed my understanding. The boys, aged 7 to 10, were curious andsmart, but often their attention drifted, and some days tested my patience. Workingclosely with the officers, I helped run sessions on communication
Mentoring in Higher Education: A psychologists’ perspective
I am glad to be contributing to this great project, Bridges by Mentors, by sharing my experience with mentoring programs from the standpoint of a professional psychologist. Being involved in mentoring programs for vulnerable populations has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my professional life. Drawing from this
Empowering Students through Mentorship and Social Engagement
As the Practicum Coordinator for School Psychology and teacher of the Practicum in Psychology at the University of Nicosia, I have had the privilege of closely observing the transformative journey of our psychology students through their participation in the Bridges by Mentors programme. Over the past year, the integration of
Bridges by Mentors: Having someone to guide you
Being an international student in Cyprus has its advantages and disadvantages, while it does give a lot of helpful things when you are first trying to settle down here, it also poses a lot of challenges that each international student must overcome so they can enjoy their temporary or maybe
Bridges by Mentors: Enovi’s Excellent Experience
Hey everyone! My name is Enovi, and I’m from the U.S.A. (Idaho, to be exact.) I am currently studying psychology as a full-time student at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus. I have lived in many places over the years, but moving to a new country always has challenges. Things
From the Mountains of Corfu to the Heart of Psychology in Cyprus
My name is Kimon, I’m 25 years old, and I come from Corfu, an island in the Ionian Sea of Greece. I grew up in a small mountain village where life was calm and familiar. For most of my life, I studied music, and for a long time, I thought
Reflections from Sunny Cyprus!
Reconnecting, Realigning, and Reaffirming Our Mentoring Mission The recent project meeting, hosted by the University of Nicosia in Cyprus on March 17-19, brought together Bridges by Mentors partners to reconnect and reflect on the project’s core mission, and realign future actions. Learning from the Journey With the piloting of the
watch and discover!
Global students, local impact.
The University of Nicosia (UNIC), aligning with the aim of Bridges by Mentors, introduced and implemented three cycles of Mentoring Outreach Programs in Cyprus, where international students as well as local students took on the role of mentors for local youth.
UNIC’s partners in the local community were organizations like Hope For Children CRC Policy Center, KENTHEA and Social Element Centre for Social and Human Development. Moreover, UNIC collaborated with primary schools of the public sector, through an initiative orchestrated by UNIC library. The population of youth with which the mentors worked with included unaccompanied minors, at risk youth, people with disabilities and children in primary education.
Through tailored training, interactive activities, supervision and sustained engagement, mentors and mentees were empowered to foster meaningful and lasting human connections. Human connection and belonging are fundamental human needs that all people are wired to seek and satisfy. This connection, which lays at the core of mentoring, reflects a sense of purpose, meaning and value in life.
Through these three cycles of Mentoring Outreach Programs, mentors’ ability to comprehend each other’s emotions, celebrate triumphs, and provide support during challenging times to youth was used as a priceless tool utilized to bring social change, bridge gaps in society and build stronger communities.
OUR PARTNERS
MEET THE ORGANISATIONS WE COLLABORATE WITH
An international humanitarian organisation dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable children by promoting their rights and providing access to education, healthcare, protection, and a safe environment to thrive. Hope For Children also works towards empowering local communities and advocating for children’s rights, aiming to create a brighter future for all children.
KENTHEA is a nationwide, non-governmental, and non-profit voluntary organization active in the fight against addictions. Purpose: Promotion of public health; prevention and treatment of addictions
Social Element is an NGO, founded by a group of people who believe that the society would improve only if all and each one of us put people and common welfare in the centre of all of our actions.
Purpose: TO fund, invest and implement solutions that would protect and promote social cohesion, health care and environment awareness.
The University of Nicosia’s library and information canter’s main objectives are to provide quality resources that support the educational and research goals of the University community, to help students assume responsible roles in a changing society and to be of service to society through partnerships with business and civic institutions.
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Contact us!
- papageorgi.i@unic.ac.cy
- University of Nicosia
- Nicosia, Cyprus