Air Filters and Students Learning

This project aims to evaluate whether installing air filters inside classrooms enhances student learning. Bogotá has high levels of air pollution which could negatively affect education. Installing air filters (HEPA) could potentially mitigate the harmful effects of pollution and improve student performance. Depending on its cost-effectiveness, installing filters could be a public policy alternative in the short- and medium-term, as long as pollution levels in developing countries continue to be above recommended levels. An advantage of conducting this evaluation in Colombia is the possibility of using administrative data to track (short- and long-term) outcomes (e.g., test scores, university attendance/graduation, formal employment, wages, and health visits in the public system). The cost-effectiveness of installing the air filters will also inform a carbon price necessary to adopt mitigation instead of adaptation strategies.