For Participants | Project Talent
If you were born between 1941 and 1946 and went to high school in the Unites States, there is roughly one chance in 25 that you are a participant in Project Talent.
If you are not a participant, it is quite likely you know someone who is, even if they have never mentioned it to you.
Project Talent is a national study that started in 1960. Over 377,000 students from 1,226 schools across the country took part. Project Talent includes students from public, private, and parochial schools, from small rural towns to big cities, from 49 states in the U.S.
AIR, in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh and with funding from the United States Office of Education, made the study to learn about young people’s interests, abilities, and educational experiences. They also wanted to know how young people chose their careers. Over 60 years later, AIR continues to follow up with Project Talent participants to learn about their experiences, families, careers, and health.
Project Talent is special because it is the first national study in the U.S. that follows participants from high school to retirement age (65 years and beyond). At its start, Project Talent focused on the role of school quality and a person’s ability in academic achievement and career development. Later, the project began to address social issues, including the gender wage gap and racism in educational systems. Today, the project looks at how social and environmental factors experienced early in life impact our health and wellbeing later in life.
Findings from Project Talent studies help improve our nation’s policies, educational systems, health care practices, and social services. The goal of this work is to help create a just and healthy nation for all people to thrive.
Read the stories of Lou (above) and Diane (right) and other Project Talent participants.
