How to win awards

There are two ways to win Festival awards for you and your class!

Global Conversation Awards for stars

10 students and 10 classes will be awarded a Global Conversation award at the end of the Festival.

These awards are based on how many stars you receive over the Festival.

We’ll award stars based on the quality of your contributions. High-quality contributions will show the knowledge and skills for having great discussions. Find out more about the knowledge and skills.

You can get stars for different things on the Student Hub...

  • 1 star

    A comment linked to the discussion with good reasoning

  • 3 stars

    Winning the weekly competition

  • 3 stars

    Having a question you submitted answered by an expert

  • 3 stars

    A high-quality comment with strong reasoning

  • 5 stars

    Having a suggestion you’ve made for a new discussion published

  • 5 stars

    An outstanding comment with new ideas that are backed up with facts and examples

You can keep track of how many stars you have in ‘My Profile’ and you’ll be able to see the student and class leaderboards.

Standpoint awards

Between weeks 5-7, you’ll work on creating your own posts about the topic that has interested you most. This will be your final say on the topic and give you a chance to share your opinion on it having joined the discussions and learnt about the topic.

We call this a Standpoint.

Standpoints will not win you stars but they are your chance to enter something even more special - the shortlist for the Topical Talk Standpoint Award. If your Standpoint is really high-quality, we’ll make it an ‘Editor’s pick’. We’ll send you a certificate and your Standpoint will be shortlisted.

Five winning Standpoints will be selected by senior editors at The Economist. If your Standpoint is a winner, you’ll receive a Standpoint award, a video message from one of our judges and a goodie bag of prizes! We’ll also share your work on the website.

Find out how to submit a Standpoint

Comments (18)

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  • inspirational_lychee Start-Rite Schools | Nigeria

    Thanks for sharing.

    11 Apr 2023
  • excellent_conversation Alkhansaa Prep Co Ed School B | Palestine

    Thank you for your effort
    You are creative.
    I present to you the most beautiful expressions of thanks and gratitude from a heart overflowing with love, affection, respect and appreciation for you.

    11 Apr 2023
  • illuminated_currency Shri Natesan Vidyasala Mhss B | India

    Thanks for sharing its very helpful to us thanks you

    12 Apr 2023
  • energetic_agency Alqarara Prep Co-ed "A" Class A | Palestine

    Thank you for your efforts, we appreciate it and hope to win

    12 Apr 2023
  • sceptical_seahorse Rex Mill Stem Middle School C | United States of America
    1

    Thank you for all your effort that you're pitted into topical talk.Topical talk inspires me and many more people to write better and share your gas ideas.I know that topical talk will keep inspire people.I present I will keep doing my beast at topical talk and leas I hop you win.

    13 Apr 2023
    1. diplomatic_mulberry Jabalia Prep Girls A School | Palestine in reply to sceptical_seahorse

      I read a saying I liked, I don't remember who wrote it. Wisdom is "Inspiration without effort is a daydream, and effort without inspiration is a nightmare."

      14 Apr 2023
  • charismatic_satsuma Àlímòsó Senior Grammar School A | Nigeria

    Thank you topical talk for your efforts and time to train students.
    I myself have benefited greatly from this festival it has given me self confidence and made me to be able to think critically.
    But most of all this festival has helped me to notice more about my society and the problems surrounding it.
    Thanks again for your time and effort.
    Thank you so much

    13 Apr 2023
  • loving_woodpecker Shri Natesan Vidyasala Mhss B | India

    Thank you for showing us a bright way with a few tips above in this topical talk. Topical talk inspires people and also me. I doesn't wish me to win in this topical I wish all the topical talkers to score well with the above tips and win this competitions.
    !!!!!!ALL THE BEST TOPICAL TALKERS!!!!!

    16 Apr 2023
  • openminded_bassoon Livingstone Academy F | United Kingdom
    1

    I think that students and classes receiving rewards is a brilliant idea, as it motivates others to work hard and stay focused on achieving their goal (getting rewarded). Rewards also make learning more fun because they make students feel like their work pays off. In sum, thank you team topical talk for thinking about the students that joined this festival.

    21 Apr 2023
    1. persuasive_sparrow Rhemaville Christian Academy | Nigeria in reply to openminded_bassoon

      Same here I am also very grateful to the Economist's for thinking about producing a platform that build's the intellect of young star's, Speaking for myself since I started this I have really learnt a lot and I believe other's have learnt and are still learning also I Hope God continues to give them more strength to run such a wonderful platform.

      28 Apr 2023
  • enigmatic_desert Livingstone Academy G | United Kingdom
    1

    thank you for sharing with us, I think it will help a lot of people on Topical Talk

    28 Apr 2023
    1. excited_signature Usra Academy | Nigeria in reply to enigmatic_desert

      Yes indeed I agree with you it will help a lot of people for example by encouraging students to put more effort e. t. c

      14 May 2023
  • jolly_kiwifruit Rafah Prep B Girls School | Palestine

    I am a middle school student. I like very much that there is a certificate and a video message from one of your referees, and that there are prizes. Wow!
    Frankly, our school won the last time, and I keep my diploma, which means a lot to me. When I look at it, I feel indescribable happiness. I will keep it for the rest of my life. How much it was an incentive for me and others. I thank you very much, and I hope that we win again, for nothing is impossible.

    28 Apr 2023
  • eloquent_hyena Jabalia Prep Girls A School | Palestine

    Thank you for your great efforts. We hope to win. I think it's great to receive rewards because it increases people's inspiration to continue, and getting rewards makes them feel that they are progressing more and more. Finally I would like again to thank you and I also think this will help a lot of people at Topical Talk.

    01 May 2023
  • reliable_owl Jabalia Prep Girls A School | Palestine

    Thank you for encouraging us. What you mentioned above about how to win inspired me. This idea of ​​encouragement and prizes really motivates the student and makes him more focused on life projects. As for me, your encouragement made me think of the best and provide very wonderful information. Thank you again and I hope you like my comments. 👍⭐

    02 May 2023
  • imaginative_agency Njoro Boys High School | Kenya

    Thank you very much for this opportunity you have availed for us ,the youth, to expand and improve our thinking and creativity.My words can not stretch my gratitude enough.Thank you.

    03 May 2023
  • beloved_tangerine Usra Academy | Nigeria

    Thank you so much for all your help.Topical talk inspires me and many more people to write better.I know that topical talk will keep inspiring people. I will keep doing my best at topical talk and I hope i win.

    04 May 2023
  • reasoning_writer Caleb British International School | Nigeria
    1

    Thank you for providing this information! Now I can strive for more stars, conduct more study, and learn more and more each time I come here. This will assist me, and I'm sure everyone else here, to think outside the box, to think creatively, to think smarter, and, most importantly, to help or alter the world to be a better place with all of the ideas from different individuals all around the world. I am quite grateful.

    07 May 2023
  • excited_signature Usra Academy | Nigeria
    1

    Thanks to the team of topical talkers for your effort in making this programme this programme helps a lot of people by making them put more effort especially when it comes to getting award not even that, even if you have not been awarded you have still learned a lot and you really made it good that you give stars that will also encourage people to put more effort when they see that they have been given stars so special thanks to all of you for your effort ,you have really teached me a lot thanks to you one more time.

    13 May 2023
  • devoted_molecule Àlímòsó Senior Grammar School A | Nigeria

    Thanks and thanks to topical talkers
    I now have the skills of problem solving, a listener, and also a speaker
    thanks for the opportunity.

    19 May 2023
  • poetic_nature New Khan-Younis Prep. Girls School A | Palestine

    Thank you for the best festival favor competition for this year. I want to thank the experts and those in charge of the competition. You have made a lot of effort these days. I hope our school will be one of the winners. I really hope to win an opinion contest. I write my thanks on the last days of the competition. I have become an English speaker, but I need some training. Thank you 😍💝

    22 May 2023