Description: Labor-Public Economics Workshop: Irene Jacqz (Iowa State University)

Location: 368A Heady Hall

Contact Person: John Winters

Title: “Do early childhood interventions moderate the effect of air pollution on cognition?”

Abstract: The link between exposure to pollution in early childhood and diminished cognitive outcomes is well documented; much less is understood about the interaction between early environments and other determinants of development. Whether, and how, these influences interact is an empirical question with implications for educational and environmental policy: for example, early childhood programs could mitigate the harm from exposure to high air pollution, or air pollution exposure could diminish the effectiveness of investments in early childhood cognition. I use a randomized preschool intervention called the Chicago Heights Early Childhood Center to study this question.