Teacher FAQs

The Topical Talk Festival by The Economist Educational Foundation is the world's largest news festival for young people.

It brings together school children globally to engage in discussions about contemporary news issues, connect with professionals and experts and earn recognition for their schools’ and individual efforts.

The Festival integrates classroom activities, online interactions and a variety of awards.

The Festival will run from January 19th to March 13th 2026

Attend the launch event
The Festival kicks off with a live online launch event on January 20th 2026. Join classes around the world to learn about our first news story, take part in interactive activities and attempt your first challenge on the Hub!

Teach one-hour lessons
Each week after the launch event, teach a one-hour lesson on a different news topic. Don't worry about creating content; all the necessary resources and materials will be provided by The Economist Educational Foundation - just download and go.

Support students to the Student Hub
After each lesson, you encourage your students to log on to the Festival Student Hub to write comments. The Hub allows your students to share their ideas and opinions with other young people from around the world, fostering a truly international dialogue. Students can also ask questions to experts, enter competitions and participate in quizzes and polls.

Teach the "Standpoint lesson"
A Standpoint is a final piece students produce to demonstrate their knowledge and express their opinion on one of the Festival topics. In week 6, you'll teach a dedicated Standpoint lesson to help students prepare. A Standpoint can be submitted in written, audio or video format. In weeks 7-8, students submit their Standpoints on the Hub for judging by Economist journalists.

Win stars and awards
By posting comments on the Hub, students are awarded stars. The classes and students who accumulate the most stars throughout the Festival win awards. One class is also awarded the prestigious Alastair Burnet Award for their contributions throughout the Festival. For more information on the awards up for grabs, visit our awards page.

Each Festival lesson brings to life a different topic in the news.

Exact topics will be confirmed nearer the time to ensure they are as current and relevant as possible. However, the themes of the 2026 lessons will be sport, international relations, democracy and Breaking news

The Festival costs £349 per class of 34 students.

The price is adjusted (+/-) depending on your type of school.

Some fully subsidised places are available.

In January 2026, you will create log-ins for your students and share their anonymous usernames and passwords with them.

Students then:

1. Go to the Topical Talk website:
   Direct your students to talk.economistfoundation.org.
2. Locate the log-in page:
   They will click on the "LOG IN" button in the top right menu of the website page
3. Enter their log-in details:
   Students will use their username and password to log in. Once logged in, their student dashboard will help them to complete the post-lesson activities.

Join global discussions
The primary activity on the Hub is to join discussions with other young people from around the world. After their weekly classroom lesson on a news topic, students log on to the Hub to see what others think and share their own perspectives. This helps them understand diverse viewpoints and engage in thoughtful debate.

Comment and respond
Students can comment on any post related to the Festival topics. They'll be encouraged to:

• Share their opinions and explain why they think what they do.
• Respond to what other students have said, fostering a back-and-forth dialogue.
• Sometimes, they might be given specific challenges or questions to answer.
• They can also use comment reactions to support responses.

Track progress and earn stars
The Hub features leaderboards where students can see their progress and how they rank against others. Their engagement and thoughtful contributions can earn them "stars," which contribute to potential awards for them and their school.

Submit Standpoints
Towards the end of the Festival, the Hub is where students will submit their Standpoints. This is their opportunity to create their own original opinion piece – in written, audio, or video format – on a topic that interests them most from the Festival discussions.

Engage with other Festival content
For each weekly topic, students can vote in polls, take quizzes to test their knowledge and ask experts questions.

Please note: all Hub and Festival content takes place in English. A B2 level or above is recommended.

The Hub is fully-moderated by adults who hold full DBS checks.

Children’s names are not used on the Hub to ensure no personal data is shared.

Learn more about our safeguarding.

Yes, as long as you and your class are able to attend the online Festival launch event on Tuesday January 20th 2026.

Yes, Topical Talk lessons are accessible to children with additional needs and are used in many SEND-specific settings.

Hub activities are differentiated by age and contain quizzes and polls for students who are less confident writers.

You should set aside 60-90 minutes each week for the combination of the classroom lesson and student activities on the Student Hub.

Make sure your students have access to internet-connected devices, as the Student Hub and the Festival takes place fully online.

Ready to take the next step? Express interest and our team will provide you with an accurate quote to participate.