How can we empower the next generation in the UK to change their economic future?
Running co-design workshops to develop the learning experience
Designing for a movement journey and meaningful moments
A happy Nesa capturing her views on Economics after our pilot
The problem
The economy is at the core of today’s political discussion. Feeling encouraged to confidently and critically engage with economic ideas is essential to take part in adult life. Without getting past this barrier, young people are cut out of the economic debate that shapes their life chances.
Crafting a solution
The Discover the Economy Accelerator is an 8 week course delivered after school on a Wednesday for 90-100 minutes for 12 students not studying Economics.
Delivered for free by trained DBS-checked university Economics students, it gives young people who would otherwise be alienated from economics discussion an exciting, fun and challenging space to engage with the subject and link it to democracy and citizenship.
The Discover the Economy Accelerator provides a collaborative, positive space for young people to engage with you as economists and with their peers about their economic future, helping prepare young people to take a role of public leadership on the economy and be equipped to engage in economic media texts.
It is a set of 8 sessions framed by a collaborative communications challenge that can take students who feel they know nothing at all about the economy and are inhibited from discussing the subject through to having a confident voice. After the course we suggest the school and students help the students organise an event which showcases their ideas and engages their peers. We’d love to help you connect with a local MP.
Crafting the course curriculum
“Your generation is the future. Economics is a conversation about your future, but it’s taking place without you. No one should be cut out from the conversation.”
Throughout the course, students have opportunities to develop their sense of power, identity, values and voice in the economy through practising communication skills, exploring their economic future and valuing diverse ideas.
Sessions are 90-100 minutes with:
Learning objectives and session guidance
Around 40 visually engaging slides
Several creative classroom activities per session
Printables and supporting resources such as such as case study sheets
A small homework task asking students to engage in economics in real life
Impact
“It allowed me to develop my economic language so now I’m easily able to understand news articles and I’m much more aware of the current economic state and how it may affect my future.” Year 12 Ambassador, Laurine
“Before I started the ‘Discover the Economy’ course, to me the word economy was just an idea, almost as if we grew up to be conditioned to believe that the economy equals money, but it’s so much more than that: how happy people someone is, how well educated people are, how comfortable are we with our mental and physical health.”
Riazul, 17