Colorado faculty districts will quickly have the ability to apply for grants of as much as $50,000 to assist their college students scale back cellphone use throughout the faculty day.
State Legal professional Common Phil Weiser introduced the “Smartphone Problem Initiative” Friday within the library of Grand Junction Excessive Faculty. This system is funded with cash from the state’s $31.7 million lawsuit settlement with e-cigarette producer Juul Labs Inc.
The initiative is the second faculty district grant program geared toward bettering pupil psychological well being funded with Juul settlement {dollars}. In June, Weiser introduced a $20 million psychological well being grant program for college districts. Purposes for that program are set to open in mid-October. As well as, Weiser lately introduced 30 grants — additionally funded with Juul settlement cash — to assist youth give up vaping.
Weiser mentioned in an interview with Chalkbeat that many faculties don’t have insurance policies on telephone use, or don’t implement those they do have.
“We wish colleges to face this actuality that telephones, in lots of instances, are detrimental to studying and dangerous, when youngsters are on these apps, to psychological well being,” he mentioned.
A current Chalkbeat survey of Colorado’s 20 largest faculty districts discovered that six have adopted stricter cellphone insurance policies within the final two years. Six others, together with Denver, Jeffco, and Aurora, don’t have any district cellphone insurance policies.
Educators instructed Chalkbeat that moreover being a power distraction in school, smartphones could be a car for college students to purchase or promote medication, bully others, and orchestrate fights.
About 95% of American teenagers personal or have entry to a smartphone, in keeping with a 2023 Pew Analysis Middle report. YouTube is the most well-liked app amongst teenagers, with TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram shut behind.
Weiser mentioned the Smartphone Problem doesn’t envision one explicit resolution to rampant cellphone use, however moderately encourages colleges to experiment with totally different methods.
“We’re difficult them to give you a spread of various coverage choices, enforcement choices, cultural enhancements,” he mentioned.
Weiser mentioned the brand new grant program was introduced in Mesa County Valley District 51 to acknowledge the district’s efforts to chop cellphone use amongst college students. A coverage adopted for this faculty yr bans cell telephones all day within the district’s elementary and center colleges and bans them throughout class time in excessive colleges.
Along with awarding grants, the Smartphone Problem will gather information this fall from faculty districts statewide on cellphone insurance policies and desires. Faculty districts should take part in that survey to be eligible for a grant.
A spokesperson for Weiser’s workplace mentioned Smartphone Problem grants will exit in early 2025 and that officers haven’t but determined the variety of grants that will likely be awarded. As soon as the grant tasks are full, the lawyer common’s workplace will launch a white paper sharing finest practices for decreasing pupil telephone use.
Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, masking early childhood points and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.
