In this special episode of J-PAL voices, we present rigorous evidence on the impacts of summer youth employment programs and discuss ways for you, our listeners, to support these programs.

On the final episode of this season of J-PAL Voices we hear how summer jobs programs are changing the narrative for their participants.

In Boston, Chicago, and New York City, research has shown that summer jobs programs lead to a large decrease in violent crime and incarceration. However, in some places, the impacts on earnings are more muted in the short-term.

How do summer jobs programs empower their youth through short programs? What leads to the lasting impact that we see in decreases in violent crime well after the programs conclude?

Data help us look at mechanisms and a variety of outcomes, tell a diversity of stories, and ensure that we serve the most vulnerable individuals.

What does it mean for a program to transform communities while remaining grounded in the voices and perspectives of residents? In the second episode of J-PAL Voices: The Impact and Promise of Summer Jobs in the United States, we look at how summer jobs programs in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City strive to ensure that zip code is not destiny.

In the first episode of J-PAL Voices: The Impact and Promise of Summer Jobs in the United States, we introduce you to some of the people you will meet throughout the series.

Hosted by Senior Research and Policy Manager Rohit Naimpally, the inaugural season of J-PAL Voices will explore how summer jobs programs fit into the broader goals of fostering mobility from poverty in the United States.