Young people need not wait
to think seriously about the world

WYE helps young people use economics to ask better questions, judge evidence, understand trade-offs, and take part responsibly in public discussion.

Our Mission

The mission of World Young Economist is to make economics more accessible, practical, and relevant for students. We help young people move beyond memorized concepts and use economics to understand the real issues shaping their lives: education, housing, work, technology, inequality, finance, trade, climate, and public policy.

Why the AI era needs a new economics education

AI can generate explanations, summaries, and fluent prose in seconds, but it cannot judge for the learner whether a question matters, whether a source is reliable, whether a conclusion is supported by evidence, or whose interests lie hidden within a policy choice.

WYE therefore treats AI literacy as part of economic literacy. Students may use tools responsibly, but must retain genuine ownership of their questions, reasoning, evidence, and conclusions.

A learning network with many entry points

Students join WYE from different entry points: some begin with a competition prompt, some submit existing essays to the Publication Pathway, and others join reading groups, build data projects, found school chapters, or apply directly for volunteer roles. No single programme is a required first step.

These experiences share one method: pose worthwhile questions, learn the relevant concepts, seek evidence, analyse incentives and trade-offs, communicate clearly, and reflect on limitations.

Independence & Fairness

Within each programme’s eligibility rules, WYE is open to students from different schools, countries, and educational backgrounds. Paid instruction is neither a prerequisite for WYE awards or publication nor a source of advantage in review. Where conflicts of interest exist, WYE manages them through disclosure, recusal, and appropriate independent or anonymized review.

Final review by practicing economics professors

WYE will invite economics professors from institutions such as the University of Chicago and Northwestern University to take part in final review decisions and to provide direct feedback on winning essays. Professors serve in their personal professional capacity; their participation implies no institutional affiliation with, or endorsement of, WYE.

The names, identities, and profiles of each cycle’s reviewing professors and team members will be published here once personally confirmed. WYE does not display unconfirmed rosters.

Structural differences from a for-profit provider

The difference is not the quality of the service but the fact that the form of the organisation decides who the money finally reaches, and under what circumstances the institution says no. The table below compares the institutional differences between the two forms; it describes no specific provider.

Being for-profit does not mean lower quality, and non-profit status is not in itself a guarantee of quality — the form of the organisation constrains the incentive structure and disclosure, not competence. Whatever institution you choose, check three things: who the money is paid to, whether the promises can be verified, and whether a third party can inspect the finances.

How the same money is usually split at a for-profit provider

Many providers of research mentorship, competition coaching, or “guaranteed publication” are for-profit companies. They can deliver excellent work, but their cost structure necessarily contains two items that do not exist in WYE’s structure: shareholder profit and customer acquisition and commercial promotion. The chart below is an indicative range for a common industry structure, shown to explain the difference in organisational form; it is not data on any specific provider.

Keeping more resources where the help actually happens

The 70% / 20% / 10% figures are budget targets; WYE is under no obligation to spend its administrative or fundraising budgets in full. As programmes scale, we will raise the share devoted to professor time, student feedback, awards, grants, and open resources wherever possible, while containing administrative and general operating costs — never at the expense of student protection, financial accuracy, data security, or legal compliance.

During the start-up phase, WYE maintains no general brand-advertising budget and undertakes no high-cost commercial promotion. Programmes rely first on open content, teacher and school networks, partners, student communities, and organic reach. Genuinely necessary small expenditures — programme recruitment, safety information, or compliant fundraising tools — will be capped, classified separately, and disclosed in the annual summary.

Funds designated for the Research Access Fund or student grants may not be used for general brand promotion.

Annual transparency: WYE will publish actual spending results and explanations of any deviations in its annual summary. No completed fiscal year is yet available to report.