Tasked with establishing a virtual business with an innovative product or service, a group of students from Pierce – The American College of Greece developed Imaginarium, a groundbreaking application that combines creative writing with technology. The project took place in the context of the Junior Achievement Greece Virtual Business Program, which culminates in a nationwide Best Student Virtual Enterprise competition.
It is widely acknowledged that in today’s reality, children spend countless hours in front of screens, passively consuming content without active engagement. This limits their imagination and their ability to create and connect with others. Research indicates that creativity declines dramatically with age—from 98% at age five to 12% at age 15 and merely 2% in adulthood. The gradual decline of imagination and creativity impacts all aspects of social, interpersonal, professional, and business relationships.
Developed by a team of 17 students from Pierce’s Junior Achievement Club in the context of the Junior Achievement Greece Virtual Business Program, Imaginarium seeks to address this issue at its core. It aspires to fill the gap in children’s daily lives by offering a fun and educational way to develop their storytelling skills. It is an interactive platform that allows them to craft characters, envision worlds, and create engaging narratives, transforming its young users from passive consumers into active producers of their own stories.
More specifically, through the Idea Generator, Imaginarium provides random prompts, characters, settings, and questions to help young writers initiate their creative process. The platform also offers tools such as Character Creation and World Building, enabling children to design their protagonists and construct the setting of their stories. The Plot Development feature guides them in composing a complete narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, while the AI component offers advice, poses challenges, and enhances the writing process.
Imaginarium is not limited to story creation; it also allows for the storage, editing, and sharing of stories, fostering critical thinking, communication, emotional intelligence, and creativity. It serves as a powerful tool that transforms technology into a source of inspiration, enabling children to express themselves and bring their unique stories to life.
In addition to immersing participating students in an important creative process, the development of the Imaginarium application was also a valuable lesson in entrepreneurship. By collaborating with experts, taking on role assignments, and engaging in problemsolving experiences, the students acquired skills in team management, organization, and innovation.
The project’s success was reinforced by three key partners: Viva.com, who sponsored the endeavor, Story Mentor, who provided narrative guidance, and Samsung Electronics Hellas, who contributed to technical support.
Imaginarium proves that technology can enhance creativity and prepare the new generation for digital entrepreneurship. With imagination as their guide, students showcased their skills and laid the foundation for their entrepreneurial future.
Imaginarium has made it to the competition’s final stage and will be among the 10 finalists competing for Best Student Virtual Enterprise 2025 on May 7 at the Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Center.
