Milton and Canton public schools are among the districts eligible to apply for competitive state grants of up to $60,000 to teach students about safe and healthy social media use.
Gov. Maura Healey announced the $1.75 million program Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education expects to award approximately 25 to 30 grants statewide, according to the administration’s announcement.
Public school districts, charter public schools and educational collaboratives may apply. Awards are competitive, and receipt of funding requires certification of compliance with state laws, including the MBTA Communities Act.
Applications are due Monday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m.
What the grants support
The Safe, Healthy and Responsible Digital Life Grant Program funds instruction on online safety, cyberbullying, privacy and identifying false or misleading information, including AI-generated content.
Recipients may also use funding for educator training, instructional materials and activities that help families support students’ digital habits.
Each grantee must reserve $25,000 of its award for services from a DESE-approved vendor. That amount is included within the maximum $60,000 grant, according to DESE’s application rules.
Projects must be completed by June 30, 2027.
“This is about setting kids up for success,” Healey said at the announcement, according to CommonWealth Beacon. “It’s a fast-paced world. Technology is evolving quickly, and we have to evolve with it.”
Education Secretary Steve Zrike said the grants would help educators teach students how to stay safe online.
Separate from pending legislation
The program draws from a $2 million fiscal 2027 investment in online safety and education. The remaining $250,000 will support reviews of instructional materials and development of educational videos and resources.
The funding comes as House and Senate proposals regulating minors’ social media use remain unresolved.
The House passed legislation in April that would bar children under 14 from social media platforms and require parental consent for users ages 14 and 15. The Senate passed a separate proposal in July requiring default settings that disable features such as autoplay and infinite scroll for minors, CommonWealth Beacon reported.
The grants are funded separately from the $17.1 billion multistate Meta settlement announced in August. That agreement remains subject to court approval.
School officials can find requirements and submission instructions on DESE’s grant page. Families are not direct applicants.
