Jonathan Johnson, The $50 Study

Jonathan Johnson is the Founder and CEO of Rooted School Foundation, where he leads The $50 Study—the largest randomized controlled trial of unconditional cash transfers to high school students ever conducted in the U.S. A first-generation college graduate from California, Jonathan became an educator to give other young people the same chance at economic mobility he fought for. After founding high schools in New Orleans and Indianapolis, he launched The $50 Study in response to pandemic-era attendance challenges. The program provides students $50 weekly for 40 weeks with no strings attached. Results from the two-year RCT show students attended 1.23 more days of school per semester and demonstrated a 15% savings rate—three times the national adult average.