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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Unconditional Cash Transfers to Increase General Welfare and Local Public Finance in Kenya

Providing cash grants to low-income households without any strings attached has been proven to have various benefits on the lives of those who receive the transfers, but less is known about how this sudden influx of income affects the local economy and people living nearby. In western Kenya...

Developing Students’ Holistic Skills Through Theater-Based Learning in India

Ritam Chaurey
Sara Constantino
Shantanu Khanna
Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay
Nishith Prakash
Raisa Sherif
In partnership with Rang Kaarwaan, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test whether theater-based instruction in secondary school could improve students’ self-efficacy, emotional regulation, empathy, time management, critical thinking, and other holistic skills in India.

The Impact of Temporary Subsidies and Financial Education on Demand for Weather Insurance in China

To better understand why people do or do not buy insurance, researchers partnered with the People’s Insurance Company of China (PICC) to conduct a randomized evaluation of an insurance subsidy and financial education program in Jiangxi province, China. Providing free insurance for one year increased...

Education Mismatch and Motivational Messages

Giacomo De Giorgi
Sebastián Otero
Researchers are evaluating the impact of providing information on national rank and scholarships can reduce dropout among high-performing students.

Books or Laptops? The Cost-Effectiveness of Shifting from Printed to Digital Delivery of Educational Content in Honduras

Rosangela Bando
Dario Romero Fonseca
Researchers partnered with the Honduran government to evaluate the impact of replacing textbooks with laptops on student learning. Using laptops resulted in no change in learning outcomes, suggesting that laptops could be a cost-effective substitute to textbooks if they can replace enough textbooks.

Increasing Employment and Earnings through a Skills Development Program for Youth in Côte d'Ivoire

Alicia Marguerie
Patrick Premand
Researchers partnered with the Côte d'Ivoire government to measure the short- and long-term impacts of a public works program, along with complementary trainings on basic entrepreneurship and job search skills. In the short term, the program led to a shift toward wage jobs (as opposed to self...

Impact of Customized Information and Mediation on Labor Court Settlement Rates in Mexico

Researchers conducted two randomized evaluations to test the impacts of providing customized information on predicted case outcomes or conciliation services on labor court settlement rates in Mexico. Both interventions nearly doubled the immediate settlement rate, but only when the plaintiff was...