"Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab Introduces Mobile App to Spur Quality Parent-Child Conversation"

The Harris School of Public Policy has announced the official launch of Chat2Learn, our responsive parenting tool featuring Chatty the AI chatbot. Chat2Learn is now available in English and Spanish via SMS, mobile app, and WhatsApp in the Americas. In the US, the BIP Lab will conduct a pilot evaluation of Chat2Learn in partnership with Distinctive Schools, a charter school network in Chicago. The BIP Lab is also collaborating with UChicago’s Development Innovation Lab and the Peruvian Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS) to adapt and evaluate Chat2Learn in Peru. These research initiatives promise to advance our understanding of AI-supported parenting interventions.

Our Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab | The University of Chicago co-director Susan Mayer gave a keynote lecture at the Human Capability Initiative in Riyadh, KSA. HCI is the first global cooperative platform designed to unify international efforts and enrich global dialogue on the challenges and opportunities for developing human capabilities. 

Our co-director Ariel Kalil was featured in the University of Chicago Big Brains Podcast, discussing the important work we are doing at the Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab | The University of Chicago to address the growing skill gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children by supporting parents to meet their own parental engagement goals.

J-PAL North America’s Social Policy Research Initiative has awarded the BIP Lab $50,000 and additional Research Management Support to conduct a pilot evaluation of Chat2Learn. This pilot will be conducted in partnership with the Chicago-based charter school network Distinctive Schools.

Arnold Ventures has awarded the BIP Lab $480,000 to conduct an evaluation of our Show Up to Grow Up intervention to reduce chronic absenteeism among low-income preschool and kindergarten students. This long-run study will be in partnership with Oklahoma City Public Schools and will collect administrative outcomes on student attendance, academics, and behavior.