COVID-19 forced students across the world to move from in-person to remote schooling, presenting particularly acute challenges for children in low- and middle-income countries living in households with limited resources and internet access. Researchers worked with IPA, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Education to develop and evaluate a text message campaign for parents designed to support learning for preschool-aged students during the shift to remote instruction. After 15 weeks, children in households who received the campaign performed better on cognitive assessments, an effect driven by increased parental involvement in children’s education.

In partnership with IPA, the Ministry of Public Education, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to measure the impact of a program introduced by the Ministry of Education to encourage youth engagement in sustainable farming. The program delivered classroom workshops on soil care, carbon neutrality, and gender equality to strengthen students’ environmental knowledge and interest in agricultural careers. Results showed that the workshops improved students’ views of farming and reduced gender bias, though they did not increase interest in pursuing agricultural careers or strengthen teamwork skills.

Researchers working with IPA conducted a randomized evaluation to assess the effectiveness of a text message program called "Deciding my Future" in influencing girls' interest in STEM careers in technical schools. The campaign did not significantly affect the average STEM career enrollment among female students, but had an effect on STEM enrollment of girls from low-income households. The evaluation also suggests effects among girls who initially had negative perceptions of STEM careers, underestimated their financial benefits, or had lower levels of gender bias towards STEM.