Teachers at Work: Preventing Social Exclusion of Immigrants

This study aims to foster the social acceptance of minority groups and prevent their social exclusion. In collaboration with the local NGO Walter, we evaluate the impact of an innovative intervention implemented over four cohorts of fifth-grade students in Finland. The target population consists of roughly 28,000 children in 90 elementary schools. Led by current and former Finnish professional athletes and artists from diverse ethnic backgrounds, Walter conducts classroom workshops designed to promote intercultural interactions and reduce bullying. To assess the intervention’s impact, we survey students at the start and end of fifth grade. These survey responses, linked to detailed administrative data, enable us to analyse the intervention’s effects on educational attainment, social networks, explicit and implicit bias, and bullying.