[DRAFT] About us

We are an independent charity that combines deep education expertise with The Economist’s journalistic rigour.

We empower disadvantaged children with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate complex social and environmental challenges, misinformation and polarisation.

By supporting passionate teachers, we enable children to take part in inspiring discussions about the news, which help them think critically, communicate effectively and understand the world.

Meet the team

We plan to reach 1 million children by 2026, with 100,000 of these having weekly news discussions and seeing transformative impact.

Our vision

We aim to reach one million children by 2026 – with 100,000 taking part in weekly news discussions that build confidence, curiosity and critical thinking.

We are scaling globally and deepening our impact through creative partnerships and collaborative projects. If you share our belief that every child should have the skills to make sense of the world, help us to make it happen.

Support our work

Our journey so far...

2012

Born from within The Economist Group as an independent charity. Ran our first educational event for children in London named "The Science Show".

2013

We host The News Show in London, featuring journalists such as Jon Snow and Krishnan Guru-Murthy and theatre company PunchDrunk

2015

300 STUDENTS REACHED
To create more consistent and in-depth knowledge about the current affairs, we launch the Burnet News Club - a news club that encourages weekly discussions about the news in schools. The club is named after former editor of The Economist, Alastair Burnet, and pilots in six UK schools.

2019

2,000 STUDENTS REACHED
We launch The Global Conversation, an international Burnet News Club topic that connects students across multiple countries.

2020

In response to Covid-19 and global school closures, we begin publishing free weekly news lessons for teachers and parents worldwide.

2021

98,000 STUDENTS REACHED
The Burnet News Club rebrands as Topical Talk – a free resource library of teaching lessons with a new Headline released every week, accessible to any teacher or parent around the world.

2022

125,000 STUDENTS REACHED
We launch the Topical Talk Festival to fulfil our vision of students around the world sharing their perspectives on the most important issues of their time. The Economist Educational Foundation team reaches ten members.