Community Outreach through Peer Coaching

At Loyola University New Orleans’ Center for Ethics & Economic Justice (CEEJ), the next generation of ethical leaders is already teaching — not just learning.

Through the Ethical Financial Literacy Peer-Coaching Project, our undergraduate Fellows step out of the classroom and into local high schools to guide students through real-world money dilemmas that blend ethics, economics, and everyday life. Each Fellow team leads small-group “rotations” where juniors and seniors wrestle with questions like:

Is it right for a city to borrow millions to cover payroll?
Would you trust a banking app over a real credit union?
When does debt become a moral decision?

Built around five dynamic “pillars” — Banks vs. Cash App, Mind Games with Money, Borrowed Time / Borrowed Dime, Digital Safety, and Ethical Debt — this project connects financial literacy with the deeper moral reasoning every citizen needs to thrive. Fellows serve as relatable near-peer mentors, helping students see that money isn’t just about math — it’s about meaning, trust, and justice.

What makes this program distinctive is its mutual transformation:

• High-schoolers gain practical, ethical financial skills before entering adulthood.

• University Fellows gain leadership, public-speaking, and service-learning experience grounded in Loyola’s Jesuit mission.

• Communities benefit from a sustainable bridge between education and economic empowerment.

In a city wrestling with its own fiscal challenges, these students are learning to connect personal finance to public ethics — and to imagine fairer systems for all.

CEEJ’s model is designed for scalability and replication across partner schools, parishes, and credit unions. With donor support, we can expand training resources, fund classroom materials, and grow the number of schools served — ensuring that every student in Greater New Orleans can learn to see money not as a mystery, but as a moral responsibility.