We use a unique natural experiment in which families were randomly selected to live in the Olympic Village, constructed for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, to assess the impact of improved neighbourhood conditions on academic achievement. Comparing 12?17-year-old students who relocated and attended the new schools with non-selected applicants from the same origin schools across Attica, we find a positive, gender-neutral, and significant effect of moving on overall performance. Educational gains, primarily in language courses, are concentrated among students who previously performed poorly, indicating a "fresh start" effect.

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30 April 2026     Paper Number CEPDP2175

Download PDF - An Olympic opportunity

This CEP discussion paper is published under the centre's Education programme.

This publication comes under the following theme: School performance: Institutional environment