KarunaNews Story

What if teens were trusted with money no strings attached? In New Orleans, a bold experiment called "The $50 study" is offering just that-$50 a week to high schoolers. Kapri Clark used it for braces, while Lyrik Grant saved for dance classes. Mixed spending, yes, but the result? Teens learned to budget, saved more than the national average, and felt empowered. "Kids don't lack character. They lack cash," says Talia Livneh from the Rooted School Foundation. The experiment, now expanding to D.C. and potentially Texas, challenges deep-rooted skepticism about giving young people cash. Can this reshape the conversation around financial trust and teens? As Clark reflects, "That was the most helpful thing ever."