In late 2024, the Dais launched an ambitious initiative, mobilizing for phone-free classrooms across Canada. 

Since then, we’ve convened educators, parents, and leaders at roundtables in every province, published evidence-based toolkits for teachers and policymakers, and supported students in leading positive change on school phone policies through our Youth Champions Program – the only student-centred network of its kind in Canada. 

We’re seeing progress. All 10 provinces now have school phone policies in place. Our surveys find Canadians are overwhelmingly supportive. And it’s becoming clearer what works: ‘bell-to-bell’ policies, clearly communicated and consistently enforced.

But our work has also reinforced that screen-related challenges extend beyond the classroom and can’t be addressed by schools alone. Supporting digital wellbeing requires shared responsibility, from students and parents to policymakers and technology companies. 

Today, we’re excited to partner with Rogers on their new Screen Break program, which brings together youth programming, research and partnership, product controls and tools for parents, and education from professional athlete role models to help young people balance screen time. Through this national effort, the Dais will focus on engaging young people in building healthier digital habits in school and in life. This partnership builds on our existing efforts, and will help us scale our impact through our Youth Champions network, engaging students across the country. 

To better reflect our focus as we go forward, the Dais is relaunching our initiative under a new name: Heads Up.

About Heads Up

Across schools everywhere, there’s a shared challenge: attention is harder to hold than ever. Phones connect and entertain us, but during the school day, they also compete with learning, friendships, and well-being. Many students say they want to focus more in class, but find it hard when pings and pop-ups are designed to steal our attention. 

When phones go down, attention goes up.

Heads Up is a Canada-wide campaign to reclaim focus, learning and real connection by going phone free at school, from bell to bell. With less distraction, students are free to think, join in, be active and thrive.

At the Dais, we’re tackling this urgent issue by: 

Mobilizing for phone-free classrooms: supporting parents, educators, school boards, and governments with information, policy guidance, training, and impact tracking on phone restrictions in K-12 classrooms across Canada. 

Leading a Youth Champions program: equipping high school students in every province to engage their peers, and lead positive change, about school phone policies and building healthier digital habits. 

Become a 2026 Youth Champion

Join talented high school students from across Canada who are stepping up to lead conversations on school phone policies, mental health, and digital wellness.

Applications are now open for our second cohort of Youth Champions.

Youth Champions are students in Grades 9 to 11, who each bring a unique voice, lived experience, and bold vision for change. Whether you’re organizing events, learning about policy, or sharing stories from your communities, you’ll shape the future of learning (and have fun while doing it!).

Location: Canada-wide (virtual and in your community)
Time Commitment: 5-8 hours a month, from April to October 2026
Compensation: $18/hour (up to 56 hours for the whole program)

Application deadline: February 20, 2026 | 11:59 p.m. EST

Heads Up is an invitation—to students, families, educators and policymakers—to work together on one of the critical challenges of our time. We’re thrilled to team up with Rogers and continue our work with other partners, and will be sharing more about 2026 activities soon. 

Onwards,

André Côté

Interim Executive Director

The Dais