Client Stories

Elders, money management…and volleyball

Ocean White knows how to set goals and meet them.

Now entering her final year at Children of the Earth High School, Ocean is one of 12 volleyball players selected to compete in Regina this summer for Team Manitoba in the North American Indigenous Games!

And she’ll be paying for the trip with money she saved while taking part in SEED Winnipeg’s youth program, Money Stories: Grounding Aboriginal Youth in the Lessons of their Elders.

In this innovative money management training program, youth learn about budgeting, goal-setting, record-keeping, credit, managing debt, and much more.

And they start to think differently about their money and spending decisions.

For Ocean, the best part of the program is the time spent with Aboriginal elders who share their own experiences with money and encourage students to think about how to manage resources in ways that align with traditional Aboriginal teachings.

“An elder came in and shared about how to connect your culture with how you manage your money,” says Ocean. “Another elder talked about how it’s important to keep money and profits in the community.”

If you don’t have goals, you won’t get anywhere.

This summer, Ocean, who wants to work in the medical field after graduation, has joined SEED Winnipeg for her second year as a Money Stories Junior Facilitator, and will be out in the community helping to teach money management to her peers.

She looks forward to building on what she learned last year.

“I hope to get more comfortable with the sessions and learn more about training,” Ocean explains. “Preparation is so important. You have to know your material.”
Ocean also credits Money Stories with helping her to build a savings habit.

“Now, whenever I get a cheque, I put some money away. You need to have a goal to work toward. If you don’t have goals, you won’t get anywhere.”