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Research

Evaluation of Empower

Added 08 May 2025 | Updated 19 May 25

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About Empower

Empower is a programme designed for girls who are excluded or at risk of exclusion from school. It aims to build the critical thinking skills required to spot misinformation and navigate the online world safely. Since 2023, the programme has reached over 5,000 students across 500+ schools and settings.

“My students are often not engaged at school. However, they enjoyed the Empower sessions and I noticed them using the vocabulary that was introduced during the sessions, and their ability to talk and debate was improved”

In its first year, Empower focused on supporting girls in Key Stage 3 to navigate online information, understand how media shapes perception, and use their voices with confidence. Following its success, the second year expanded to include Key Stage 4 students, introduced new content on Artificial Intelligence and had a renewed focus on oracy—equipping young people with the skills to think critically and speak powerfully.

The second year of delivery also saw the introduction of teacher training, supporting schools to embed a whole-school approach to media literacy—ensuring every student has the tools to question what they see online and make safer, more informed choices.

Read more about Empower or sign up to take part here Read about our other Alternative Provision programmes here

Key Findings

The evaluations from both years of delivery showed improvements in participants' media literacy skills and confidence. For example, data from the second year shows that:

  • The percentage of participants who checked the trustworthiness of news sources increased from 34% to 74%
  • 73% of participants felt more confident to question the news stories and information they see online after taking part in the programme
  • 6 months after the programme, 7 out of 10 of teachers reported that students continued to question news and information they encounter online

Empower participants also showed improvements in their knowledge and behaviours surrounding social media and developed key oracy skills around discussion and debate:

  • 85% of participants felt they knew more about how social media can affect mental wellbeing
  • 78% of participants said they think more before sharing something online
  • The percentage of participants who felt they were good at listening to someone else and understanding their point of view increased from 60% to 81%
  • The percentage who felt they were good at taking part in a debate or discussion in class increased from 42% to 63%

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