Learning Together, Growing Confidence: Money Smarts Calgary
On November 18, 2025, Calgary became a gathering place for Indigenous youth, community leaders, and financial allies to learn through an interactive game designed to teach financial literacy. Our largest Money Smarts training yet brought people together not just to play a game, but to develop relationships and confidence in facilitating financial literacy.
From the first moments, the room was filled with conversation, laughter, and curiosity. Youth stepped into leadership, community members shared experience, and financial partners listened, played, and learned alongside everyone else. Money Smarts created a space where learning wasn’t something taught to people — it was something we experienced with one another.
What made this gathering special wasn’t how many attended, but who was there and how they shaped the learning together. Indigenous youth, community leaders, Elders, financial allies, and entrepreneurs came together at shared tables to make decisions, solve challenges, and navigate financial choices reflected in everyday life, building Money Smarts.
When collective financial knowledge grows, it becomes more than just information on paper. It becomes confidence that young people take home, into their communities, and into future businesses, careers, and leadership roles. This way of learning reflects a truth rooted in community: financial well-being grows stronger when it grows with others.
Participants spoke about how Money Smarts is more than a game — it’s a practical, engaging, and inclusive way of building financial skills that stick:
“Money Smarts has real potential to build financial confidence in our communities. When people learn together, the skills they gain ripple into families, youth, and future leaders.”
— Karen Worrell (Anishinaabe-kwe), EFS Inclusion & Reconciliation Lead, ATB Financial"Money Smarts gives youth practical tools they can use in their everyday lives and future goals. It builds real confidence that benefits families and communities." — Community Participant
These reflections affirm what we witnessed in the room: when financial learning is practiced, explored in dialogue, and shaped by lived experience, it becomes meaningful — and it lasts.
Collaboration Was the Key
This training showed what is possible when many types of knowledge come together. Community members brought lived experience. The youth brought energy and ideas. Financial and industry partners joined with openness, a willingness to participate, and curiosity about how Indigenous-led approaches shape meaningful learning.
These relationships help build systems where Indigenous youth don’t have to adapt to financial education — instead, the learning adapts to them, their realities, and their strengths.
With Gratitude
We are grateful to Kevin Littlelight, who opened our day on a positive note, grounding the training in culture, history and story. Opening together reminded us that financial confidence is strongest when it is rooted in values that honour relationships, respect, and community well-being.
We’re especially grateful to ATB Financial for welcoming us into the Calgary Campus. Their hospitality helped create a space where Indigenous and non-Indigenous entrepreneurs, leaders, youth, and supporters could learn together and explore financial tools with confidence, curiosity, and respect.
We also extend our gratitude to everyone who attended from across community organizations, Nations, and industry partners. Your participation shaped the conversations, the strategies, and the learning. By showing up to learn together, you helped build skills that will continue to move through families, youth programs, and future enterprises.
Indigenous Organizations & Community Partners:
Community Futures Treaty 7 (CFT7) • Alberta Indian Investment Corporation (AIIC) • Acden • Miskanawah Community Services • Woven Dreams Inc. • Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC) • Siksika Nation
Community Allies & Non-Indigenous Partners:
ATB Financial • E4C • Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) • KPMG
What Comes Next
Calgary reminded us that when learning is shared, laughter can become understanding, strategy can become confidence, and financial skills can become building blocks for community well-being and entrepreneurship.
We are proud to continue expanding Money Smarts into more youth programs, community organizations, and entrepreneurship training across Canada. Together, we are growing financial confidence that supports Indigenous prosperity, one community at a time.
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