There are two parts to Topical Talk:
- We publish free classroom resources for students aged 10+ designed by our team of experienced teachers working with journalists and fact-checkers at The Economist
- We put on ten-week global discussions between schools and leading topic experts on the top news stories and issues of our time. These are called Topical Talk Festivals
We also run Topical Talk Prizes, which are a chance for students who take part in Topical Talk lessons to be recognised for their work.
Topical Talk Festivals
Topical Talk Festivals are ten-week global discussions between schools and leading topic experts on the top news stories and issues of our time. Each Festival is packed with inspiring activities, online events and awards for thoughtful conversations and ideas.
Topical Talk Resources
Free teaching resources for weekly classroom discussions about the news.
Headlines cover a different news story each week and Special Editions explore a news issue in depth over six lessons as part of a Topical Talk Prize.
Topical Talk Prizes
Competitions are a chance for students who take part in Topical Talk lessons to be recognised for their work. Prize winners will get their work published on our website alongside personalised feedback from an Economist journalist, plus they’ll receive a goodie bag!
About us
The Economist Educational Foundation (that's us!) is an independent charity that was set up from inside The Economist newspaper. We combine 175 years of journalistic expertise with deep educational know-how and a decade of experience fostering high-quality topical discussions in schools.