The Day Scholars Revitalization Society (DSRS), an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to healing and revitalization, officially launched its first call for applications for the Day Scholars Revitalization Fund.
The $50 million fund will provide financial support to Day Scholar Survivors — those who attended Indian Residential Schools during the day but returned home at night — and their first-generation descendants to revitalize their languages, cultures, and heritage while accessing wellness and educational opportunities.
“Day Scholars have been left out of the conversation, their voices unheard,” said Bonnie Healy, executive director of DSRS.
“This fund is not just about financial support. It’s about revitalizing what was taken, empowering Survivors and their families to heal in their own ways, and ensuring that our cultures, languages, and ancestral knowledge are protected for future generations.”
The Day Scholars Revitalization Fund is separate from the Day Scholars Compensation Payment process administered by Deloitte and other Residential School or Day School settlements. While those settlements provided individual compensation for harms experienced, this fund is focused on supporting Survivors, first generation descendants, and their families in revitalizing their identities, strengthening their connections to their cultures, and accessing resources that foster healing and education.
“This is heart work,” added Healy. “We recognize that healing looks different for everyone. Whether it’s learning their ancestral language, returning to ceremony, furthering their education, or simply finding community, we are here to walk with Survivors and their Descendants on their journey. This is about collective healing, and no one should be left behind.”
The fund is now accepting applications through www.dsrsociety.ca, where Survivors and their Descendants can find detailed eligibility criteria, application steps, and additional resources.
About the Day Scholars Revitalization Society
The Day Scholars Revitalization Society (DSRS) was established in 2021 by and for Day Scholar Survivors who attended Indian Residential Schools between 1920 and 1974 but did not sleep there at night.
DSRS administers the $50 million Day Scholars Revitalization Fund, which was created to support healing, cultural revitalization, education, and commemoration initiatives for Survivors and their first-generation descendants.
Rooted in healing and revitalization, DSRS strives to empower the protection and revitalization of Indigenous languages, cultures, and heritage.