Massachusetts allocates $1.75M for school social media safety grants

Governor Maura Healey has announced a $1.75 million investment to help Massachusetts schools teach students how to safely navigate the internet and social media. Administered through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Safe, Healthy and Responsible Digital Life Grant program, the initiative will provide between 25 and 30 grants of up to $60,000 each.

Funding is available to public school districts, charter schools, and educational collaboratives. The grants aim to support classroom instruction regarding online safety, cyberbullying, data privacy, and the recognition of false information, including AI-generated content. Programs funded by these grants are slated for implementation during the 2026-2027 school year.

The announcement comes as social media legislation remains stalled in the state legislature. This initiative follows previous state efforts, including $1 million in grants to support cell phone-free schools and legislation banning AI-generated deepfake pornography of minors. The state is also expected to receive funds from a $17.1 billion multistate settlement with Meta regarding the impact of its platforms on young users.