Lewis S (S4) has been awarded The Diana Award for his digital platform, “The Curious Times”, in recognition of the role he has played in championing the voices of young people and inspiring positive change.
Lewis founded 'The Curious Times' during the pandemic to address the social isolation experienced by young people. The digital platform includes an award-winning website, podcast, YouTube channel and social media, which together allow young people to express themselves through art, poetry, games, and journalism. The website's content is entirely created by children aged 9-17 and the community now extends to over 80 countries and has positively impacted the mental health and personal development of the young participants. Lewis also co-founded the ‘Global Young Entrepreneur Society’ to champion youth perspectives and empowerment in business and he is a member of the Childnet Youth Advisory Board.
Talking about the inspiration behind The Curious times, Lewis said:
“When Stewart’s Melville College was forced to move our learning online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I immediately realised how isolating lockdown was going to be for me, and many other young people like me. I was used to a packed calendar and suddenly I was stuck at home alone. The idea for “The Curious Times” came to me as a way to stay connected to friends and build a community to support other young people through lockdown. I taught myself how to build a website during the Easter holiday of 2020 and contacted friends inside and outside school for help with content creation. Very soon www.curioustimes.co.uk became a community of young people, sharing ideas, news, creative content and concerns about the world. Many of the content creators at The Curious Times were ESMS students.
“In 2021, a grant from The Burns Price foundation allowed us to develop a more interactive website with the help of Craig Ballingal (then SMC S6), and we also grew our audience through social media and podcast interviews with authors and figures of interest. The connections I have made through this project have helped me see the world from different perspectives and opened up new opportunities for me, such as founding Global Young Entrepreneurs Society and speaking at the Summit Of Minds in Chamonix.”
Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, The Diana Award is the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts. The Diana Award charity continues to be supported by both HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Sussex.
Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO of The Diana Award, was the first to congratulate Lewis on his award:
“The Diana Award recipients are changemakers for their generation. These young people demonstrate that young people have the power to change the world; a belief also held by Diana Princess of Wales. We know by receiving this honour they will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities and begin their own changemaking journey.”
The Award was the result of a nomination by Lewis’ Head of House, at Stewart’s Melville College, Mr Robertson. Mr Robertson was delighted when he heard the news:
“It has been an absolute pleasure watching Lewis’ ‘Curious Times’ project develop over the past few years. Lewis founded The Curious Times in response to the pandemic of 2020 and, through it, young people’s voices are amplified on issues that really matter to them. He richly deserves his success, and it has been a real pleasure working with him, as his Head of House. Everybody in Galloway House is very proud of what he has achieved. We have no doubt that this is just the start of what promises to be a remarkable future.”
Well done Lewis and all the students at SMC who have contributed to the success of The Curious Times. We are so proud of you all!
