"Wait, This Feels Different"

Meet Kyla — an 18-year-old senior at New Harmony High School and your host of the Rooted Cash Podcast 🎙️

For episode 2, Kyla shares what it felt like to get $50 a week—no strings attached. 

From sushi runs to her fear of asking for help, she talks money, adulthood, and what it means to grow up without everything you need—and why equity matters now more than ever.

This is all part of the $50 Study, a powerful initiative by the Rooted School Foundation that gives young people weekly cash to explore what financial freedom means to them.

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.

Season 3 introduces Kyla, an ambitious graduating senior who brings heart, humor, and honesty to conversations about youth, money, and independence. Through personal stories and interviews, she explores the impact of The $50 Study — a direct cash transfer program giving high school students in New Orleans $50 a week to spend as they choose.

From budgeting for prom to helping her family and dreaming big about her future, Kyla shares what financial freedom means to her and her peers — and why trusting young people with money just makes sense.

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.