Working Paper: NBER ID: w17402
Authors: Will Dobbie; Roland G. Fryer Jr.
Abstract: Nearly one million American youth have participated in service programs such as Peace Corps and Teach For America. This paper provides the first causal estimate of the impact of service programs on those who serve, using data from a web-based survey of former Teach For America applicants. We estimate the effect of voluntary youth service using a sharp discontinuity in the Teach For America application process. Participating in Teach For America increases racial tolerance, makes individuals more optimistic about the life chances of poor children, and makes them more likely to work in education. We argue that these facts are broadly consistent with the "Contact Hypothesis," which states that, under appropriate conditions, interpersonal contact can reduce prejudice.
Keywords: Teach for America; youth service; racial tolerance; educational beliefs; employment outcomes
JEL Codes: I00; J01
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| serving in Teach for America (TFA) (I29) | increase in racial tolerance (J15) |
| serving in Teach for America (TFA) (I29) | increase in belief that achievement gap is solvable (I24) |
| serving in Teach for America (TFA) (I29) | increase in belief that teachers are essential for student success (I24) |
| serving in Teach for America (TFA) (I29) | increase in likelihood of working in K-12 education (I21) |
| serving in Teach for America (TFA) (I29) | increase in likelihood of pursuing education-related careers (I24) |