Nutana Collegiate

          ISLS

     Integrated School-Linked Services

       Individual Development Accounts Program (IDA):

·        Affinity introduced a program to help youth improve their financial and life situations while enhancing their

                 education at the same time.  It's called the Individual Development Accounts (IDA) program.  The program

                 teaches young people how to manage their financial affairs, save money towards a goal, gain employment

                 skills and build toward gainful employment or continuing their education.

                 Participants are required to make several commitments such as stay in the program for at least 10 months, be

                 in school, work as an employee or as a paid volunteer in the Saskatoon area, save $40 a month and set a 

                goal for the savings, such as education, job training, housing or other future investments.

                 Savings accounts are set up at Affinity where all fees are waived.  Every dollar saved by a participant is

                 matched 2:1 by a donor.  Therefore if the participant saves $400 an additional $800 is placed in their

                 account for a total of $1200.

                  The IDA program helps participants build self-esteem and confidence at a critical time of life, a time when

                   they can enter the workforce, assert their financial independence, and contribute to their community.

        In IDA I learned how to make proper resumes and how to have an interview without being

                   nervous about what to say.  I'll likely use the money I made to go to business college.                                   

                  Through the support of an Integrated School-Linked Services Team, Nutana has been able to

                  accommodate those youth coming to the school with complex social, emotional, health and

                  developmental challenges.