The Economist Educational Foundation

We are an independent charity that was set up in 2012 from inside The Economist newspaper. Our mission is to change young people's lives by giving them the skills to think and speak for themselves about current affairs.

Misinformation is a huge problem and yet a third of UK teachers think the critical literacy skills taught in schools aren’t transferable to the real world. We enable young people to join inspiring discussions about the news in their classrooms and with peers in different communities, with input from global topic experts. They learn to think critically, creatively solve problems and communicate effectively about the issues shaping their lives and futures, from inequality to climate change.

We work with 8 to 14-year-olds from low-income backgrounds who face deep-rooted disadvantages in education and employment, are often hit hardest by issues in the news and are less likely to end up in positions of power where they can influence them. We equip them with news-literacy skills that can change their outcomes.