When the school day ends, learning shouldn't stop. But for too many Canadian children living in poverty, it does.
In Canada, 1 in 5 children lives at or below the poverty line. Over 24 months of pandemic-related learning disruption pushed many of these children even closer to the edge — declining literacy scores left kids struggling to keep up, while mental health challenges began appearing at increasingly younger ages. The effects are still being felt today.
Start2Finish has responded with “Keep the Lights On” — a national initiative to give these children a fighting chance.
What We're Working Toward
Working in partnership with school boards across the country, Keep the Lights On aims to reach 70% of schools in high-need zones — providing quality literacy enrichment and well-being programming during the critical 3:00–6:00 PM after-school window. This is the time when the lights go out and too many marginalized children are left without the learning support and safe spaces they need.
Just as vaccines shield communities from health risks, Keep the Lights On is shielding children from long-term educational and developmental harm — building a fence at the top of the cliff before kids fall.
Join the Lightbulb Movement
Together, we can keep the lights on for children across Canada. Be part of the change — join the Lightbulb Movement today.