Our Story

In 2013, the DDSB launched the 'Make a Difference' early years poverty strategy in order to support students who were facing financial barriers to success. Within a few years, the DDSB recognized that while the 'Make a Difference' initiative was making significant impacts on the lives of students and families living in poverty, there needed to be something more. The first steps were then taken in creating an organization that would solely support the needs of DDSB children and youth experiencing poverty, and the Ignite Durham Learning Foundation was born.

The Foundation received official charitable status in May 2021, and since then we have been working to ensure that every student has nutritious food at lunch and snacks, is dressed for the weather, has access to life-changing programs, and can find success in post-secondary education.