October 2018 Newsletter

J-PAL Global

6 October 2018

Developing an ed-tech agenda in Latin America

This summer, J-PAL Latin America & the Caribbean and Proyecto Educar 2050 led a regional conference on education technology and its impacts on student learning. The event was funded by J-PAL's Post Primary Education Initiative and organized with two goals in mind: present the most impact evaluations of education technologies and generate opportunities for new partnerships to evalutate ed-tech programs in the region. Read more »

Helping teens navigate the college application process

In a series on our blog, J-PAL North America outlined evidence-based approaches to helping low-income teens in the United States bridge the gap between high school and college. The posts reviewed key challenges that students face and examples of effective interventions; explored a hands-on guide that outlines cost-effective “nudges” to help students enroll, persist, and graduate; and shared the experiences of two first-generation college students Myiesha Robateau and Chloe Wells. Read more »

FEATURED POLICY INSIGHT

Improving extension services to increase farmers’ productivity

Agricultural extension services and training programs do not always reach farmers with the right information at the right time. Inappropriate or ineffective information delivery may limit a farmer’s ability to assess a new technology, ultimately dampening yields and profits. Approaches like using technology to reach farmers with timely and tailored information, incentivizing trainers, and leveraging social networks have shown to be effective. Read more »

AFFILIATE SPOTLIGHT

Craig McIntosh on engines for economic mobility

J-PAL affiliate Craig McIntosh (University of California, San Diego; co-chair of J-PAL’s Agriculture sector) reflects on his experience as an exchange student in Kenya and how it propelled his interest in credit and liquidity. “Every one of my brothers, uncles, and cousins in my host family was a mechanic, and so I saw the challenges they faced in starting and maintaining small businesses.” Read more »

UPCOMING EVENTS

"A Big Data Revolution in Assessing Climate Risk" with Michael Greenstone: October 11

Join us online or in person for the next lecture in the Data, Decisions, Public Policy series on October 11 at MIT in Cambridge, MA. Michael Greenstone (University of Chicago; co-chair of J-PAL’s Environment and Energy sector) will discuss his work with the Climate Impact Lab, a team of researchers combining climate science, econometrics, and big data analytics to measure the real-world costs of climate change. Register to attend in person or via live webcast »

UPCOMING TRAININGS

Enroll now: Measuring Health Outcomes in Field Surveys

This free online course explores the fundamentals of field-based health research through immersive documentary-style learning. Participants learn how to measure individual and population health and explore practical issues related to safety, hygiene, and ethics. Enrollment is still open; watch the course trailer and learn more »