This project provides an easy-to-teach, discussion-based financial literacy and recovery program designed for use within correctional and reentry settings. The course has been designed for recovery centers like The Center for Hope, located in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The course follows a peer-to-peer learning model, used by nine recovery centers in Eastern Idaho. This booklet focuses on helping attendees develop emotional regulation, responsible decision-making, and simple financial habits that support long-term stability both during incarceration and after release.
What Makes This Program Stand Out:
- No prior financial training required for teacher or student. Every lesson, activity, and discussion prompt is included in a unified booklet.
- Integrates financial and emotional recovery. Participants learn how emotions influence economic behavior, connecting financial wellness with self-awareness and rehabilitation.
- Practical and adaptable. Includes 10-week and 4-week formats, real-world examples, and flexible materials suitable for group or one-on-one settings.
- Sustainable resource. The booklet is to be a lasting tool for recovery centers.
- Focus on personal growth. Lessons promote accountability, self-confidence, and meaningful preparation for community reintegration.
Project Overview
The Financial Literacy and Recovery Course is a practical, discussion-based program designed to help participants of recovery programs develop the financial habits, awareness, and confidence needed for long-term stability and successful reentry. The course combines principles of financial education with skills central to recovery, including self-awareness, emotional regulation, and responsible decision-making. Participants learn not only how money works, but how their financial choices connect to values, relationships, and personal growth.
The program is a 10-week comprehensive course to meet the needs of different schedules and cohorts. Each lesson includes interactive lessons, guided exercises, and real-world applications tailored to incarcerated individuals. Topics range from budgeting and managing debt to rebuilding financial trust and planning for reentry. Each session blends teaching, open discussion, and hands-on activities, creating a learning environment that is peer-centered, motivational, and rooted in accountability.It is a unified workbook that will serve both participants and coaches, providing a shared structure and accessible guidance for each lesson. For coaches, brief preparation and reflection sections make facilitation straightforward, even for those without prior financial training. For participants, the workbook offers pages and prompts to reflect and practice essential habits. Together, this program helps bridge financial literacy and recovery, empowering individuals to take control of their future both during and beyond The Center for Hope.
Objectives & Goals (primary and secondary)
Primary Goals:
- Strengthen understanding of key financial principles such as budgeting, saving, and managing debt.
- Connect financial behavior with emotional awareness and recovery principles.
- Build confidence in independent and informed decision-making.
- Provide a reusable workbook and teaching structure that is simple to facilitate and easy to adapt.
Secondary Goals:
- Teach the course myself (if time permits before I leave Eastern ID in April 2026)
- Have this program approved as a resource that will be GED credit or a certification for the incarcerated individuals.
Lesson Content & Materials:
Every lesson integrates financial education with behavioral and recovery-based principles. The course uses a consistent, easy-to-follow structure that supports both instructor delivery and participant comprehension.
Materials:
- A unified workbook containing lesson summaries, key definitions, activity worksheets, and space for notes and self-reflection.
- Interactive sheets such as budgeting templates, financial planning checklists, and guided reflection forms.
- Instructor preparation notes and follow-up prompts to reinforce comprehension and accountability.
- The lessons are designed to be interactive, empathetic, and grounded in the realities of reentry. Participants learn through stories, shared experiences, and practical exercises that mirror their day-to-day financial decisions.
Basic Lesson Overview:
Every lesson in the 10-week course will be between 45 and 50 minutes. Every lesson will follow a similar structure, detailed below:
| Principle-based Discussion (5-10 minutes) | 10-Minute Case Study Discussion | Activity (15 to 25 minutes) | Q&A and Conclusion (5 to 10 minutes) |
| Establishes the topic and discussion points. Defines Key Financial TermsDiscussion-based | Real-world examples are the ideal. Fictional examples might be used. Highlights key financial principles and scenarios. | There will be a wide variety of activities tailored to each topic. For example, creating a budget will be lesson 3’s activity. | Final questions and thoughts. Every lesson will conclude with a call to action. Brief follow-up ideas will be given. |
10 Week Course Lessons:
The following are 10 topics to cover basic financial literacy principles, and tie directly to The Center for Hope’s goals for the individuals in the course.
1: Learning the basics of Financial Literacy
2: Creating and sticking to a Budget
3: Life Inside: Money Systems in Incarceration
4: Needs v. Wants, and Emotional Spending
5: Understanding and Getting Out of Debt
6: Managing Financial Crises
7: Rebuilding Financial Trust and Setting Boundaries
8: Preparing For Reentry and Building Stability
9: Investing for the Future
10: Giving Back and Building Habits
Outcomes:
In the end, there were:
- About 125 pages have been designed and written in twelve weeks of development.
- 1, 12-page proposal developed and given.
- Over 50 reflection questions written.
- 10 Coach Preparation Guides
- Over 10 case studies written and edited, and
- 10 activities designed and written to provide practice, reflection, and learning.
As of December 06, 2025, The Center for Hope will be accepting the booklet, and key stakeholders at other recovery centers are currently considering acceptance upon viewing the booklet. A date of implementation has yet to be determined due to the current educational course schedule for The Center for Hope.
Conclusion
The Financial Literacy and Recovery Course offers a unique focus on stability and long-term recovery. By linking practical financial skills with emotional growth, the booklet can empower individuals to take ownership of their future. Each lesson builds confidence and promotes responsible decision-making, giving participants the tools to rebuild trust, strengthen relationships, and plan for success beyond incarceration.
The Financial Literacy and Recovery Course began as a resource for centers like The Center for Hope, but has grown to include other recovery centers in the Idaho area. The course has been created to fill a need in rural communities facing economic and restorative justice issues. Once accepted, the booklet will be a lasting resource for recovery centers.
A Final Note From The Author:
This financial booklet has been another opportunity to entrench myself in the recovery community, and this time, I get to offer a unique resource that is adaptable to their needs and circumstances. It has stretched my researching, writing, and even my designing capabilities, a skill I have seldom developed. It has caused me to change my own view of finances, and has taught me that there is often a strong correlation between our emotional regulation and our finances. Many of these skills I have studied and written about are ones everyone, myself included, can strive to be better at.
This project has also emboldened my belief in peer-to-peer learning models, creating safe spaces for shared, human experiences to drive reflection and learning. For those like members of the recovery community, that kind of space is needed to provide change and self-actualization. The entire booklet, with its focus on reflection prompts and group discussion, is meant to produce such an enviornment. If a lesson gets derailed because of a moment of vulnerability or solving real-world problems, then so be it. This booklet is meant to adapt and fit whatever circumstances participants need.
The opportunity to work with recovery centers like The Center for Hope has been a life-changing experience for me. I have had the unique opportunity to see the principles of restorative justice in action, adding yet more fuel to the flame of an ever-growing passion and interest in entering the legal field. This project is an early stepping-stone that produces what I hope to be a life-long record of service to non-profit 501(c)(3) centers.
