Literature v3 · Research topic
Did losing a caregiver to COVID-19 push families into poverty?
Over 167,000 children lost a parent to COVID. Using Census data, we can see if their household incomes dropped—and if they fell into poverty.
Why this matters
Hidden Pain, Hidden Costs: More than 167,000 American children lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19. But what happens to their education and future earnings? By stitching together Census and NCES datasets, we can tell the story of a generation's silenced trauma—and the policies that might help.
Project scores
Difficulty
This 8-week project requires comfort with analyzing large datasets using statistical software (e.g., R, Python). You will merge Census ACS data from multiple years and perform regression analysis to estimate causal effects. Prerequisites: basic statistics and data manipulation skills. Expect to spend weeks 1-3 on data cleaning, weeks 4-6 on modeling, and weeks 7-8 on interpretation and write-up. S
3 of 5 difficulty
Strengths
- Clear and socially relevant research question
- Use of nationally representative survey data (ACS)
- Pre-post design leveraging policy-relevant timing
Skills built
Zero-cost data
Zero-cost dataResearch gap
Hidden Pain, Hidden Costs: More than 167,000 American children lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19. But what happens to their education and future earnings? By stitching together Census and NCES datasets, we can tell the story of a generation's silenced trauma—and the policies that might help.
Curriculum alignment
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