Louisiana Native Launches First Louisiana-Built Financial Literacy Curriculum Ahead of 2027 State Mandate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Louisiana Native Launches First Louisiana-Built Financial Literacy Curriculum Ahead of 2027 State Mandate
The Couvent Collective PBC Bridges Classroom to Career with First Louisiana-Built Curriculum Addressing Both HB 52 Mandate and NIL/Professional Athlete Financial Education
NEW ORLEANS, LA - With Louisiana's Class of 2027 just 18 months away from becoming the first students required to pass a financial literacy course to graduate, The Couvent Collective has launched Financial Power for Life™, the state's first comprehensive curriculum built specifically for Louisiana students, families, and communities.
The 290-page student workbook and complete teacher edition, spanning 7 modules, 26 lessons, and 18 weeks of instruction, is the only high school financial literacy curriculum created from the ground up to reflect Louisiana's unique cultural heritage, economic realities, and educational landscape. The curriculum is currently being submitted to the Louisiana Department of Education for approval.
"This isn't a national curriculum with Louisiana examples added as an afterthought," said Kim M. Braud, founder and CEO of The Couvent Collective. "Every lesson, from TOPS scholarship planning to hurricane financial preparedness to understanding Louisiana's parish tax structures, was written for our students, by a Louisiana native who understands their lives."
Louisiana House Bill 52, signed into law in 2023, requires all high school students to complete a one-unit financial literacy course to graduate, beginning with the Class of 2027. The mandate affects approximately 58,000 graduating seniors annually across Louisiana's 64 parishes and 385+ high schools.
Financial Power for Life™ addresses all 14 topics required by Louisiana Revised Statute 17:270, including banking, credit management, taxes, insurance, investing, and consumer protection, while going beyond compliance to include culturally responsive content that honors Louisiana's Creole, Cajun, African American, Vietnamese, and Indigenous communities.
THE CURRICULUM: 7 MODULES
Module 1: Financial Identity & Values: Understanding money scripts, cultural influences on financial beliefs, and setting values-based financial goals
Module 2: Earning, Careers & Income: Career pathways, understanding paychecks, entrepreneurship, and wage equity
Module 3: Budgeting for Independent Living: The 50/30/20 rule, emergency funds, hurricane financial preparedness, and Louisiana cost-of-living comparisons
Module 4: Banking, Credit & Debt Management: Choosing financial partners, building credit, understanding loans, and recognizing predatory lending
Module 5: College, Career & Major Life Decisions: TOPS scholarship planning, FAFSA completion, student loans, first apartment, and first car
Module 6: Investing & Wealth Building: Compound interest, retirement accounts, investment basics, and building generational wealth
Module 7: Civic Responsibility & Legacy: Understanding taxes, philanthropy, and creating a personal legacy statement
The curriculum culminates in a capstone project where student groups design and deliver 30-minute financial literacy workshops to real community audiences, including elementary students, middle schoolers, parents, and senior citizens. This service-learning component transforms students from learners into community educators.
Unlike generic national curricula, Financial Power for Life™ includes:
TOPS Scholarship Planning: Complete guidance on Opportunity, Performance, Honors, and Tech award levels, plus FAFSA completion support
Hurricane Financial Preparedness: Emergency fund calculations including evacuation costs, insurance coverage, and recovery planning
Parish-Level Economic Data: Cost-of-living comparisons for New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and communities across the state
Cultural Financial Traditions: Exploration of community lending circles, mutual aid societies, and wealth-building practices from Louisiana's diverse communities
Predatory Lending Protection: Consumer education addressing Louisiana's high concentration of payday lenders and title loan companies
Financial Power for Life™ is available for adoption now, with full implementation support for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. Schools interested in pilot programs or early adoption can schedule consultations immediately.
COMING MID-2026: FINANCIAL POWER FOR LIFE™ ATHLETE EDITION
Building on the success of the high school curriculum, Financial Power for Life™ will launch Financial Power for Life™ Athlete Edition in mid-2026, a comprehensive financial literacy program designed specifically for NIL-eligible high school and college athletes, as well as professionals in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and MLS.
"Louisiana is a pro athlete pipeline - LSU, Southern, Grambling, Tulane, UL Lafayette. We're a top-10 state for NFL draft picks per capita," Braud said. "When our students go pro, they need more than talent. They need financial literacy that starts in the classroom and continues through their professional careers."
The athlete program addresses a critical need: according to Sports Illustrated, 78% of NFL players face financial distress within two years of retirement, and 60% of NBA players go broke within five years. Teams, agents, and individual athletes interested in pilot programs can schedule consultations now.
For more information, visit www.financialpowerforlife.com or contact Kim Braud at info@financialpowerforlife.com.
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About Financial Power for Life
Financial Power for Life™ and Financial Power for Athletes™ are initiatives of The Couvent Collective, a Public Benefit Corporation committed to advancing financial literacy and educational equity. Founded by Kim Braud, a Louisiana native with expertise in curriculum development for underserved populations, the organization creates culturally responsive financial education that serves high school students, professional athletes, re-entry populations, and underserved businesses. The Couvent Collective also provides resources connecting these communities to loans and grants. Their mission is to close opportunity gaps through practical financial education, business readiness, and access to resources. Learn more at www.thecouventcollective.com.
Media Contact:
Kim Braud, Founder & CEO
Financial Power for Life™, an initiative of The Couvent Collective
Email: info@financialpowerforlife.com
Website: www.financialpowerforlife.com
Phone: 770.652.7103
