My Mentor Lab
MAXIMIZING IMPACT
Through Cost-Effective Evidence-Based
Interventions
Our interventions aim to be firmly grounded in and guided by evidence-based practices, ensuring that every component of the My Mentor Lab design follows proven research and methodologies to maximise impact.
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My Mentor Lab provides information on the benefits of education:
One of the “Great Buys” identified by the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP, 2023) is providing students and their families with clear information on the returns to education, costs, and the quality of educational opportunities. My Mentor Lab integrates this by offering tailored guidance to students and their families on the income-earning benefits of education, scholarship opportunities, and global career prospects.
Methodology and Evidence
The GEEAP’s "Great Buys" classification is supported by a strong body of evidence, rooted in an extensive review of over 13,000 studies in economics and education, narrowed down to identify the most impactful interventions in low- and middle-income countries. Their assessment prioritises cost-effectiveness, scalability, and long-term impact on learning outcomes, based on rigorous, causal studies. Combining quantitative evidence with insights from education, psychology, and development economics, the panel ensures that recommended interventions are not only effective but also practical and sustainable at scale, providing a solid foundation for the best evidence-based educational policies.
Tested on a large scale
These interventions have undergone large-scale testing and showed low per-child costs when implemented at scale. MML will focus on delivering specific, contextually relevant information that alters individuals' perceptions regarding educational benefits or school and college quality. This approach differs from generalised positive messaging about education; instead, it aims to provide targeted data that can shift deeply held beliefs or misconceptions about the value and nature of educational opportunities (GEEAP, 2023). MML could serve as a model for scaling up similar interventions, potentially influencing policy discussions on education and poverty alleviation.
MY MENTOR LAB'S RETURNS TO SKILLS
THE IMPORTANCE OF COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
Hanushek et al. (2015) find that for every one standard deviation increase in cognitive skills, wages could rise between 10% and 45%. This significant return highlights the importance of preparing students with a high-quality education that fosters these abilities. At My Mentor Lab, we aim to develop students' cognitive skills through a rigorous academic curriculum that aligns with the highest global standards from top university programmes.
MORE EVIDENCE OF OUR EDUCATIONAL
INTERVENTIONS
Mentorship
Mentoring programmes could be particularly impactful for disadvantaged students. Research shows that mentorship can foster social mobility by improving educational and labour market outcomes.
Mentoring alleviates family disadvantage in adolescence and strongly improves labour market prospects. Many underprivileged students also lack family support, substituting lacking family support with other adults (mentors) could help disadvantaged children at adolescent age. (Resnjanskij et al, 2024).
Increasing schooling time
Increasing students' time on sustained intellectual activities can significantly improve cognitive endurance. However, such opportunities are less available to poor students, further disadvantaging them. Also, research shows that additional years of schooling improve cognitive endurance, but poorer students often do not have access to that. (Brown et al., 2022).
Engaging in intellectual activities
Poor students experience cognitive fatigue more quickly than their wealthier peers. This is attributed to limited opportunities for sustained cognitive activity, as poorer schools offer fewer chances for students to engage in prolonged intellectual tasks. (Brown et al., 2022).
Reducing convictions and criminal behaviour
Teacher quality has an important effect on whether students face arrest, conviction, and incarceration later in life (Rose et al., 2022). By pairing students with high-quality mentors, our program aims to provide the guidance and support needed to foster positive behaviour in the long term.
EVIDENCE OF INTERNATIONAL
ACADEMIC MIGRATION
AND UPWARD SOCIAL
MOBILITY
- Even slight increases in emigration have benefited a great number of people, and it has demonstrated its significance as a tool for reducing poverty (Clemens and Pritchett, 2008).
- Clemens (2011) highlights the massive potential global economic gains from reducing or eliminating migration barriers.
