Policy Breakfast Series Examines Central America's Innovations in Attacking Poverty

Laura Rawlings, the World Bank's sector leader for Central America, was a guest last semester at Steinhardt's policy breakfast series. The final session of a year-long three-part series called "Attacking Poverty: Implications for Education Policy and Practice" was attended by policymakers, government officials, and researchers. Rawlings, an economist who coordinates the World Bank's health, education, and social protection portfolio in the region, spoke on new initiatives several Latin American countries have implemented to address large gaps in poverty and education between the poor and nonpoor. One innovation, the conditional cash transfer, makes payments to women contingent on their investing in their children's human capital, and provides the model for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Opportunity NYC program, which similarly provides cash rewards for families who meet goals in education, health, and employment. "As one of the areas of the world that suffers the greatest income inequality, Latin America provides fertile ground for studying innovations designed to bridge the gap between poor and non-poor, " Rawlings said. Steinhardt Professor Larry Aber hosted the discussion.