By Bob Katzen

The Healey Administration today announced the awarding of $1.75 million in new funding to help Massachusetts schools protect students from the harmful impacts of social media and teach young people how to navigate the online world safely and responsibly. The grants are designed to support schools in educating students about online safety, cyberbullying, protecting their personal information, recognizing misinformation and making healthy choices about social media use.

“As a parent of two teenagers, I know how important it is to help young people navigate social media and all the pressures that come with it,” said Education Secretary Steve Zrike. “Our kids are growing up in a world that looks very different from the one we experienced, and schools and families need to work together to help students make healthy choices. These grants will give educators more tools to have those important conversations and help students develop the skills to stay safe online.”

“These grants are designed to help students be informed, responsible users of online content, including social media,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “This support will help educators to increase media literacy among students, as well as their understanding of artificial intelligence and their ability to keep themselves and their information safe.”