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The Economist Educational Foundation

Facilitating high-quality, global discussions about the news

We support children from under-served backgrounds to develop essential skills for the modern world. We do this by enabling them to join inspiring discussions about the news which teach them to think critically, communicate effectively and understand the world. Children who take part in our activities can make five times more progress in creativity, problem-solving, listening and speaking skills.
HundrED 2021
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Overview

HundrED has selected this innovation to

HundrED 2021

HundrED 2020

Digital Wellbeing

Updated June 2025
Web presence

2012

Established

101

Countries
Teachers
Target group
The change we hope to see in education is for children to learn about the big issues shaping their lives and futures and be able to learn to listen openly, question information and arguments, conceive creative ideas and speak with confidence about real-world issues. We hope to see classrooms engaging with students from all around the world to learn about new perspectives and experiences.

About the innovation

Giving young people the skills to think for themselves about current affairs.

We enable inspiring discussions about the news in schools. We provide free weekly educational news content, teacher training and resources. We also bring together schools from different communities and countries for global conversations.


By taking part in these discussions, young people learn to think for themselves about the news. They become able to see fake news, one-sided debates and unsound arguments for what they are. They practice having their say about issues affecting their lives. The young people on our programme can make seven times more progress in speaking, listening, problem-solving and creativity compared to a controlled group.

In uncertain times, the ability to think critically and communicate confidently about real-world issues is a hugely valuable asset. It not only gives young people a voice, it helps them to succeed in school, the workplace and beyond. Misinformation and polarisation are on the rise. Our world is becoming more divided than ever. It’s crucial that we equip young people with the skills and knowledge to make sense of the world and cut through the noise.

We are reaching 13,000 teachers worldwide and creating weekly news-content for them to facilitate weekly discussions with their students about the big issues shaping the world. We cover challenging and complex topics from AI and the climate crisis to the decline of democracies. In the 2024-25 school year, our lessons about AI have been some of our most popular and have given children a deeper understanding of how AI works and its impact on the world today and in the future.

Once a year we host the Topical Talk Festival where thousands of young people from all over the world join discussions on our online platform, the "Student Hub". They share perspectives on current news stories. These discussions are facilitated by our in-house teachers with the support from global topic experts who share their experiences and ideas on the topic with students.

Get in touch to find out more: www.economistfoundation.org

Sign up for our free, weekly resources here: talk.economistfoundation.org



Impact & scalability

Impact & Scalability

With the increase of online exposure, the importance of news literacy has increased exponentially. The Economist Educational Foundation is equipping students with the power to decipher fact from fiction and increase their ability to be critical thinkers and engage in thought provoking discussions.

HundrED Academy/Advisory Board Reviews

The ability to engage students in rigorous, evidence-based discussions of current events has the potential to be very powerful, particularly if it's done at a meaningful dosage.

Great innovation with a clear focus on economics as the central pathway for education and global leadership. Wonderful research to prove points.

- Academy/Advisory Board member
Academy/Advisory review results
Impact
Scalability
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Read more about our selection process

Implementation steps

Contact us
Visit https://talk.economistfoundation.org/ to sign up to receive our free resources, access our resource library and take part in the Topical Talk Festival.

Spread of the innovation

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