The Economist Educational Foundation says the global competition, open to 10- to 16-year-olds, comes at the end of a new six-lesson curriculum that gets students thinking critically about the media they consume. The goal is to inspire action, elevate young voices and improve media literacy in an age of misinformation, polarisation and fake news. With the support of Rolex, The Economist Educational Foundation seeks to reach 1m school children by the end of 2026.
The Leadership for Change: decoding the news curriculum equips young people with the critical-thinking, creative problem-solving and media-literacy skills they need to navigate through fake news and polarisation in a “post-truth” world. Students will have the opportunity to learn from a diverse group of industry experts and leaders who are uncovering facts and combating misinformation. These inspiring individuals will guide students to apply leadership skills which will improve media literacy in their school or community, added The Economist Educational Foundation.
Alongside fully-resourced lessons for delivery in classrooms, two online live lessons will be taught by experienced teachers at The Economist Educational Foundation on October 22nd 2025. These lessons offer an opportunity for students to hear from a leader making a difference, take part in interactive activities and join discussions with peers from across the world, the Foundation continued.
The curriculum culminates with the Leadership for Change Prize 2025. Students will pitch their own media-literacy project, with three winning pitches receiving funding and mentorship to help make their projects a reality. The competition is open until November 19th and prize winners will be announced on December 5th 2025.
Flora Letanka, CEO, The Economist Educational Foundation said: “We are proud to build on the remarkable success of last year’s programme, which saw thousands of children from 23 countries take part. Strengthening our partnership with Rolex, Leadership for Change 2025 supports our ambitious goal to reach 1m children by the end of 2026, equipping the next generation with the critical skills needed to navigate our increasingly complex world.”
Arnaud Boetsch, director of communication & image at Rolex said: “Rolex is happy to reconduct the Leadership for Change partnership with the Economist Educational Foundation after launching this great initiative in 2024. Inspiring the next generation of leaders, fostering the transmission of knowledge between generations, and celebrating human achievement remain essential goals for us as a company and we are proud to support this programme which shares the same objectives.”
Through Leadership for Change: decoding the news, in partnership with Rolex, The Economist Educational Foundation says it will support the next generation of leaders, with the shared understanding that knowledge and debate advances a brighter future for all.
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