Leadership for Change is an education programme from The Economist Educational Foundation, in partnership with Rolex. Designed by expert teachers in collaboration with world-leading journalists and fact-checkers from The Economist newspaper, it equips 10- to 16-year-olds with key critical-thinking, creative problem-solving and communication skills. This year, students developed the skills to think critically and navigate a “post-truth" world. They became “news decoders" – able to navigate through fake news and polarisation.
Following a series of classroom lessons, the Leadership for Change Prize offered students the chance to submit their “Project for Change” as part of a global competition. Three winning entries were selected by a panel of judges, and each winner received funding and mentorship to turn their projects into reality.
Leadership for Change is an education programme from The Economist Educational Foundation, in partnership with Rolex. Designed by expert teachers in collaboration with world-leading journalists and fact-checkers from The Economist newspaper, it equips 10- to 16-year-olds with key critical-thinking, creative problem-solving and communication skills. This year, students developed the skills to think critically and navigate a “post-truth" world. They became “news decoders" – able to navigate through fake news and polarisation.
Following a series of classroom lessons, the Leadership for Change Prize offered students the chance to submit their “Project for Change” as part of a global competition. Three winning entries were selected by a panel of judges, and each winner received funding and mentorship to turn their projects into reality.
News you trust
Students investigated how images shape trust in the news, compared the core skills of journalists and leaders and debated the truth in a changing media landscape.
Social media
and the news
Students explored how echo chambers can impact decision-making, learnt from a leader on social media and truth and discussed the risks and benefits of using social media as a source of news.
AI and the news
Students discovered how journalists are using AI in the newsroom, heard from a media leader at the forefront of AI innovation and debated whether AI is a force for truth or misinformation.
Press regulations
and the news
Students explored what press freedom means – locally and globally, debated the limits of what journalists should report and heard real-world insights from a leader in press freedoms.
News you trust
Students investigated how images shape trust in the news, compared the core skills of journalists and leaders and debated the truth in a changing media landscape.
Social media
and the news
Students explored how echo chambers can impact decision-making, learnt from a leader on social media and truth and discussed the risks and benefits of using social media as a source of news.
AI and the news
Students discovered how journalists are using AI in the newsroom, heard from a media leader at the forefront of AI innovation and debated whether AI is a force for truth or misinformation.
Press regulations
and the news
Students explored what press freedom means – locally and globally, debated the limits of what journalists should report and heard real-world insights from a leader in press freedoms.
Nikhita Chulani
Helped students to decode:
Global news and storytelling
Nikhita is a social platforms editor at The Guardian. She leads social storytelling that explains complex global issues in ways that inform and inspire new audiences.
Chris Morris
Helped students to decode:
Fact-checking and misinformation
Chris is the Chief Executive of Full Fact. He has spent over 20 years as a senior correspondent, reporting on major stories from around the world.
Abhinanadan Sekhri
Helped students to decode:
Independent journalism
Abhinanadan is the Co-founder and CEO of Newslaundry, a reader-supported independent news organisation.
Alsu Kurmasheva
Helped students to decode:
Press freedom
Alsu is a journalist and advocate. After being imprisoned in Russia for her journalism, she is now a leading advocate for press freedom.
Josh Muncke
Helped students to decode:
Artificial Intelligence
Josh is the Vice President of Generative AI at The Economist Group. He explores how AI is transforming journalism, decision-making and understanding of global issues.
On October 22nd, students from 106 classes across 26 countries joined leader, advocate and ocean explorer Sylvia Earle, and Emilie Steinmark, science correspondent at The Economist, for a global, interactive live lesson.
Together, these special guests helped students decode the news and explored why it’s as important to look below the surface when exploring the ocean as it is when understanding a news story.
Sylvia Earle is a pioneering oceanographer. She has spent decades championing the blue heart of our planet, raising awareness about threats such as overfishing and pollution while also calling for the protection of vital marine ecosystems. She spoke to students about her leadership journey and advocating for marine conservation.
On October 22nd, students from 106 classes across 26 countries joined leader, advocate and ocean explorer Sylvia Earle, and Emilie Steinmark, science correspondent at The Economist, for a global, interactive live lesson.
Together, these special guests helped students decode the news and explored why it’s as important to look below the surface when exploring the ocean as it is understanding a news story.
Sylvia Earle is a pioneering oceanographer. She has spent decades championing the blue heart of our planet, raising awareness about threats such as overfishing and pollution while also calling for the protection of vital marine ecosystems. She spoke to students about her leadership journey and advocating for marine conservation.
This curriculum addresses one of the biggest challenges today. We share the following facts with students in the first lesson, which highlight the problem:
- TikTok is the most-used single source for news among 12 to 15-year-old news consumers.
- 40% of people said they trust the news, most of the time
- 6 in 10 people say they are concerned about fake online news
These statistics represent a systematic breakdown in our information ecosystem. When young people receive news based on algorithms rather than editorial standards, they risk falling into echo chambers where sensationalism trumps accuracy. A lack of trust, combined with increasing avoidance, leaves people who are sceptical, unsure of the truth and unable to hold power to account.
This curriculum addresses one of the biggest challenges today. We share the following facts with students in the first lesson, which highlight the problem:
- TikTok is the most-used single source for news among 12 to 15-year-old news consumers.
- 40% of people said they trust the news, most of the time
- 6 in 10 people say they are concerned about fake online news
These statistics represent a systematic breakdown in our information ecosystem. When young people receive news based on algorithms rather than editorial standards, they risk falling into echo chambers where sensationalism trumps accuracy. A lack of trust, combined with increasing avoidance, leaves people who are sceptical, unsure of the truth and unable to hold power to account.
Our expert teachers tackle the issue, head on. Combined with award-winning journalists at The Economist, we produce learning materials that are factually accurate and present a range of perspectives. This curriculum doesn’t just get students thinking critically about the media they consume, it gets them to act - students are empowered to create a media literacy initiative that creates positive change in their school or local community.
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Our expert teachers tackle the issue, head on. Combined with award-winning journalists at The Economist, we produce learning materials that are factually accurate and present a range of perspectives. This curriculum doesn’t just get students thinking critically about the media they consume, it gets them to act - students are empowered to create a media literacy initiative that creates positive change in their school or local community.
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Vihaan Ved, Aditya Paturu and Vanshika Kotha
Eager Readers
Vihaan Ved, Aditya Paturu and Vanshika Kotha
Eager Readers
Amplifying rural voices
After surveying their peers, students realised that although most teenagers want to stay informed about the news, many rely on social media and struggle to differentiate what is real from what is fake. They also noticed how rarely rural India appears in mainstream coverage, despite nearly half the population living in villages.
This gap inspired them to explore how they could help young people access more trustworthy and representative stories. By collaborating with the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), students aimed to bring authentic rural news to their community through engaging short-form social-media content.
“I love that the students did a survey. And the idea of collaborating with an existing institution, but providing social-media smarts that it lacks to boost awareness and distribution, is a good one.”
“A great idea that’s very relevant, and would get lots of people involved.”
Vishnu Padmanabhan
Vishnu is Asia correspondent and news editor at The Economist. Prior to this he worked in the development sector in India, in organisations like J-PAL and TechnoServe and as a data journalist for Mint, an Indian business daily.
February 25th
The team took on the challenge of transforming rural news stories from the PARI archive into impactful social media reels. Vishnu coached the students on journalistic “hooks" - like the 10-second “lead" to stop the scroll - and encouraged them to focus on underdog narratives to grip their audience. The group also explored upskilling through social media workshops and using AI editing tools to boost production quality.
April 17th
With a goal of posting 2-3 reels weekly, the team refined their branding with consistent layouts and student-led voiceovers. Vishnu provided guidance on field interview techniques as the students began planning original reporting on local figures, including a fashion designer and an ophthalmologist, to expand their content beyond the PARI archives.
June 5th
The students used their final meeting to prepare for their first in-person interview with a former farmer who transitioned into an ophthalmic assistant. Vishnu gave them some great tips on interviewing, advising them to stay flexible, and when creating a reel to use a sharp contrast between the subject’s past and present life to hook the audience. The students also mapped out their upcoming social media pipeline, including a completed reel on a local Kabaddi player and another about a classical dancer supported by his brother. Looking to the future, Vishnu encouraged the team to treat social media as an ongoing experiment, and brainstormed ways they could branch out into broader youth-oriented topics, like India's national exam paper leaks, sports, and the AI business revolution.
Amplifying rural voices
After surveying their peers, students realised that although most teenagers want to stay informed about the news, many rely on social media and struggle to differentiate what is real from what is fake. They also noticed how rarely rural India appears in mainstream coverage, despite nearly half the population living in villages.
This gap inspired them to explore how they could help young people access more trustworthy and representative stories. By collaborating with the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), students aimed to bring authentic rural news to their community through engaging short-form social-media content.
“I love that the students did a survey. And the idea of collaborating with an existing institution, but providing social-media smarts that it lacks to boost awareness and distribution, is a good one.”
“A great idea that’s very relevant, and would get lots of people involved.”
Vishnu Padmanabhan
Vishnu is Asia correspondent and news editor at The Economist. Prior to this he worked in the development sector in India, in organisations like J-PAL and TechnoServe and as a data journalist for Mint, an Indian business daily.
February 25th
The team took on the challenge of transforming rural news stories from the PARI archive into impactful social media reels. Vishnu coached the students on journalistic “hooks" - like the 10-second “lead" to stop the scroll - and encouraged them to focus on underdog narratives to grip their audience. The group also explored upskilling through social media workshops and using AI editing tools to boost production quality.
April 17th
With a goal of posting 2-3 reels weekly, the team refined their branding with consistent layouts and student-led voiceovers. Vishnu provided guidance on field interview techniques as the students began planning original reporting on local figures, including a fashion designer and an ophthalmologist, to expand their content beyond the PARI archives.
June 5th
The students used their final meeting to prepare for their first in-person interview with a former farmer who transitioned into an ophthalmic assistant. Vishnu gave them some great tips on interviewing, advising them to stay flexible, and when creating a reel to use a sharp contrast between the subject’s past and present life to hook the audience. The students also mapped out their upcoming social media pipeline, including a completed reel on a local Kabaddi player and another about a classical dancer supported by his brother. Looking to the future, Vishnu encouraged the team to treat social media as an ongoing experiment, and brainstormed ways they could branch out into broader youth-oriented topics, like India's national exam paper leaks, sports, and the AI business revolution.
Final thoughts from Vishnu
“The students have done great work. The project is really important because it tackles a couple of big issues in India generally - one is that rural India is not covered that well by most media outlets: there's always a bias to cities. Secondly, no one really talks about good news stories - it's a challenge everywhere. The Instagram reels they’ve created are fantastic and really showcase their ability to take on this project - I really look forward to see what they do going forward."
Melina Kalogeropoulou, Anastasia Gaitani and Ariadni Kokkinaki
Pierce - The American College of Greece
Piercing the Silence: from fear to digital kindness
Melina, Anastasia and Ariadni led their year group in creating a project that aims to tackle how online misinformation and cancel culture can affect students’ emotional wellbeing. Inspired by real experiences within their school and rising concerns about cyberbullying in Greece, they set out to raise awareness and promote a more thoughtful digital culture.
“An engaging pitch which aims to solve a clear problem that affects your fellow students. The project seems ambitious, and I like the idea of combining the live event with a strong digital campaign.”
“Love it - great to use a specific example to anchor the pitch, and the idea of an event will be great for building different skills.”
Vinjeru Mkandawire
Vinjeru is currently a news editor on The Economist's Digital desk. Prior to this she was The Economist's Britain Correspondent and has worked for a variety of other media publications including the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times.
February 10th
The team began planning a TEDx-style awareness event featuring experts from the police, law and psychology sectors. Vinjeru advised the students to lead with personal stories to drive engagement during school-wide promotions. They also developed a sustainability plan to integrate digital awareness into the student council and the Year 11 IT curriculum.
March 27th
Preparations ramped up with the finalisation of a student impact survey and the delegation of roles to Year 11 volunteers. Vinjeru helped the group develop contingencies for speaker cancellations and guided them on interactive audience activities, such as colour-coded voting cards, to ensure the event remains engaging and high-impact.
May 8th
Following the success of their event, the final meeting celebrated its high engagement and inspiring speakers. After a final budget review the students decided to make a donation to a charity related to their project’s cause. The team discussed their impressive 79 survey responses and plans for a school art legacy project. Vinjeru helped them prepare for the upcoming winning schools’ webinar and shared tips on presentation skills and how to highlight their data.
Piercing the Silence: from fear to digital kindness
Melina, Anastasia and Ariadni led their year group in creating a project that aims to tackle how online misinformation and cancel culture can affect students’ emotional wellbeing. Inspired by real experiences within their school and rising concerns about cyberbullying in Greece, they set out to raise awareness and promote a more thoughtful digital culture.
“An engaging pitch which aims to solve a clear problem that affects your fellow students. The project seems ambitious, and I like the idea of combining the live event with a strong digital campaign.”
“Love it - great to use a specific example to anchor the pitch, and the idea of an event will be great for building different skills.”
Vinjeru Mkandawire
Vinjeru is currently a news editor on The Economist's Digital desk. Prior to this she was The Economist's Britain Correspondent and has worked for a variety of other media publications including the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times.
February 10th
The team began planning a TEDx-style awareness event featuring experts from the police, law and psychology sectors. Vinjeru advised the students to lead with personal stories to drive engagement during school-wide promotions. They also developed a sustainability plan to integrate digital awareness into the student council and the Year 11 IT curriculum.
March 27th
Preparations ramped up with the finalisation of a student impact survey and the delegation of roles to Year 11 volunteers. Vinjeru helped the group develop contingencies for speaker cancellations and guided them on interactive audience activities, such as colour-coded voting cards, to ensure the event remains engaging and high-impact.
May 8th
Following the success of their event, the final meeting celebrated its high engagement and inspiring speakers. After a final budget review the students decided to make a donation to a charity related to their project’s cause. The team discussed their impressive 79 survey responses and plans for a school art legacy project. Vinjeru helped them prepare for the upcoming winning schools’ webinar and shared tips on presentation skills and how to highlight their data.
Final thoughts from Vinjeru
“When I began mentoring the students at Pierce, we didn't just talk about abstract ideas - we dove straight into the deep end, where I watched them operate less like students and more like seasoned project managers. Through their initiative they have proven that the real solution isn't to lock young people out of the digital world, but to equip them with the necessary digital safety skills to navigate it safely.”
Katie Cho, Yolanda Chen and Lia Chen
Taipei Municipal Neihu High School
Truth Detectives: empowering students to combat misinformation
After noticing how often their peers shared unverified posts and how rapidly rumours spread in their school community, students developed “Truth Detectives” - an interactive game to help young people recognise and challenge online misinformation.
Players will investigate suspicious posts, fact-check clues and decide whether to “spread or stop” content. By transforming media literacy from an abstract concept to a practical skill, the students hope they will inspire their peers to become leaders in the fight for truth.
“This was a brilliant idea and pitch with great phased implementation; I’m excited to play the game and see this come to life!”
“A great idea that’s very relevant, and would get lots of people involved.”
Miranda Mitra
Miranda is China Editor for The Economist. Prior to this she has been its international editor and South-East Asia correspondent. Miranda’s work has also appeared in the Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Times and the Evening Standard.
March 4th
The team set out to gamify the fight against fake news by building an interactive challenge on the PlayReal platform. Miranda guided them on the game script, advising them to start with easy wins before gradually increasing the difficulty to keep players engaged. They explored weaving in deceptive AI-generated images to test players, and planned a big promotional push on the school social channels.
April 15th
With user testing on April 18th fast approaching, Miranda supported the team to troubleshoot the game’s technical side, such as checking in with the IT department to ensure the school's Wi-Fi wouldn't crash under the pressure. They also started brainstorming fun reward tokens based on student feedback to make the experience more rewarding.
May 6th
The team celebrated the rollout of the game, sharing a video diary and walking through impressive survey data from 119 participants. Despite feeling the squeeze of upcoming exams and the logistical challenge of supervising distracted grade 11 students, they managed to stay perfectly within budget. Miranda offered tips on presenting in both their bilingual class showcase and the winning schools' webinar.
Truth Detectives: empowering students to combat misinformation
After noticing how often their peers shared unverified posts and how rapidly rumours spread in their school community, students developed “Truth Detectives” - an interactive game to help young people recognise and challenge online misinformation.
Players will investigate suspicious posts, fact-check clues and decide whether to “spread or stop” content. By transforming media literacy from an abstract concept to a practical skill, the students hope they will inspire their peers to become leaders in the fight for truth.
“This was a brilliant idea and pitch with great phased implementation; I’m excited to play the game and see this come to life!”
“A great idea that’s very relevant, and would get lots of people involved.”
Miranda Mitra
Miranda is China Editor for The Economist. Prior to this she has been its international editor and South-East Asia correspondent. Miranda’s work has also appeared in the Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Times and the Evening Standard.
March 4th
The team set out to gamify the fight against fake news by building an interactive challenge on the PlayReal platform. Miranda guided them on the game script, advising them to start with easy wins before gradually increasing the difficulty to keep players engaged. They explored weaving in deceptive AI-generated images to test players, and planned a big promotional push on the school social channels.
April 15th
With user testing on April 18th fast approaching, Miranda supported the team to troubleshoot the game’s technical side, such as checking in with the IT department to ensure the school's Wi-Fi wouldn't crash under the pressure. They also started brainstorming fun reward tokens based on student feedback to make the experience more rewarding.
May 6th
The team celebrated the rollout of the game, sharing a video diary and walking through impressive survey data from 119 participants. Despite feeling the squeeze of upcoming exams and the logistical challenge of supervising distracted grade 11 students, they managed to stay perfectly within budget. Miranda offered tips on presenting in both their bilingual class showcase and the winning schools' webinar.
Final thoughts from Miranda
“Congratulations to Katie, Yolanda and Lia. It's been a fantastic project - the three of them have been hugely committed and organised, using time after school, at weekends and organising the various events on their school campus to make this happen. This was a digital first project for a digital first generation. It's been a fantastic project to be a part of, and I think I learned as much as I helped - I think the mentoring goes both ways!”
Eager Readers, India
The team plans to continue to boost their social media engagement by consistently creating and posting new reels on authentic stories they source and research themselves, moving beyond those highlighted by PARI. They have an upcoming visit planned to a village in rural India to interview a farmer who transitioned to working as an assistant ophthalmologist.
Taipei Municipal Neihu Senior High School, Taiwan
The students plan to develop a fully online version of their media literacy game to make it accessible to students at other schools. They also aim to expand their target audience by collaborating with local community parks to involve people of all ages.
Pierce - The American College of Greece, Greece
The students are committed to ensuring the legacy of the “Think Before You Link" project continues through several new initiatives. A student will be creating a permanent art installation inspired by the forum, whilst the school IT department and psychologist will launch a cybersecurity and anti-cyberbullying programme.
Next steps
Eager Readers, India
The team plans to continue to boost their social media engagement by consistently creating and posting new reels on authentic stories they source and research themselves, moving beyond those highlighted by PARI. They have an upcoming visit planned to a village in rural India to interview a farmer who transitioned to working as an assistant ophthalmologist.
Taipei Municipal Neihu Senior High School, Taiwan
The students plan to develop a fully online version of their media literacy game to make it accessible to students at other schools. They also aim to expand their target audience by collaborating with local community parks to involve people of all ages.
Pierce - The American College of Greece, Greece
The students are committed to ensuring the legacy of the “Think Before You Link" project continues through several new initiatives. A student will be creating a permanent art installation inspired by the forum, whilst the school IT department and psychologist will launch a cybersecurity and anti-cyberbullying programme.
“This project had a profound impact on my motivation as a teacher, inspiring me to go above and beyond in fostering leadership and empowerment amongst my students.”
“Instead of waiting for our leaders to make a change, I think young people can start making a change in their respective communities, which will make the world a better place."
“This project had a profound impact on my motivation as a teacher, inspiring me to go above and beyond in fostering leadership and empowerment amongst my students.”
“Instead of waiting for our leaders to make a change, I think young people can start making a change in their respective communities, which will make the world a better place."
Feeling inspired?
About The Economist Educational Foundation
We are an independent charity that combines deep education know-how with The Economist’s journalistic expertise. We enable children aged 10 to 16 to join inspiring discussions about the news, which teach them to think critically, communicate effectively and understand global issues. They build essential knowledge and skills to thrive in our changing world.
About the partnership with Rolex
The Economist Educational Foundation and Rolex’s partnership supports both organisation’s shared goals: to drive awareness and education on the critical issues of our time, to inspire action and to elevate young voices. This year, thanks to Rolex's support, The Economist Educational Foundation reached over 1 million school children around the world for the first time.
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