Problem

Access to media literacy and critical thinking shouldn't depend on background. Too many young people were missing out on the skills and confidence to understand current affairs and have their say on the issues shaping their lives.

Solution

Designed a content ecosystem around the audience, combining current affairs content developed with journalists from The Economist, curriculum-linked classroom resources, teacher training, a digital community, live theatre experiences and direct dialogue with real-world experts and decision-makers.

Impact

48 schools reached

300+ students engaged

59 teachers trained

2,700+ hours of online engagement between students

87% of students felt more confident discussing current affairs

96% of teachers rated the content better than other news resources

Students made significantly greater progress than the control group across every measured thinking skill.