Interview with Dr. Amy Baker and Dr. Stacia West

We “sat down” over Zoom with Dr. Amy Baker and Dr. Stacia West- the founders of The Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania. They explained the current movement behind basic income policies and how a similar study conducted in Stockton, CA influenced the design of the cash transfer pilot at Rooted.

What is Rooted Cash Podcast?

During the 2020-2021 school year, a small group of seniors at the Rooted School in New Orleans were given a set amount of 50 dollars every single week for a whole year. No tax, no strings attached, just cold hard cash. Two participating seniors became fascinated with this pilot- so fascinated that they decided to make a podcast about it. In partnership with Be Loud Studios, they interviewed experts and reflected potential impact of earned income and the positives that come from giving young people the money needed to live, work, create, and learn.

For season two, Rooted Schools has doubled down on this investment, growing the “$50 Study” from 10 students in 2021 to now 83 Rooted high school students in New Orleans and Indianapolis. Join host (and Rooted alumni) Vernell aka DJ Villian as he sit downs with participating students and learns more about the voices behind the data points.

If you want to follow us on social media, follow us @the50dollarstudy on Instagram. There we will be sharing pictures, videos, and reflections on this study from the Rooted Community.