State Attorney General launches initiative to fund development of school smartphone strategies
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado schools looking to develop and test smartphone policies that promote student wellbeing will soon have access to new state funding from the Colorado Department of Law.
The new initiative was announced on Sept. 20 by Attorney General Phil Weiser at a roundtable on district smartphone strategies in Mesa County Valley School District 51.
The new funding opportunity aims to help schools address the impact of smartphones on students' learning environments, mental health, and academic performance.
In a press release, the Attorney General's office said evidence of the link between excessive social media use and deteriorating student wellbeing was a motivation for the decision.
“We know smartphones are deeply embedded in the lives of students in Colorado,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a Sept. 20 press release. “But they can also create significant distractions, undermine learning in the classroom, and contribute to negative mental health outcomes. This funding will enable schools to experiment with different strategies to manage smartphone use and create a learning environment that is more focused and supportive.”
With nearly 95% of teenagers in the U.S. owning smartphones, the initiative will explore ways schools can reduce distractions while maintaining student's access to necessary functions like safety alerts and medical situations.
According to the Attorney General's office, the program's first phase will involve collecting data from school districts on their current smartphone policies, challenges and needs.
Up to $50,000 in grants will be awarded to a handful of school districts in support of a variety of different strategies, including introducing phone storage devices, implementing technology that limits certain smartphone features or launching educational programs on responsible phone use.
The initiative comes after a handful of Colorado schools recently adopted new rules on student cell phone use, such as in School District 51, where a new smartphone policy prohibits younger students from having smartphones while allowing older students to use their devices only during designated breaks.
The Attorney General's office said this model is one of many examples of how schools are rethinking smartphone use in classrooms.
In June, Weiser announced a $20 million competitive grant to fund school-community partnerships focused on enhancing student connection and wellbeing. The Attorney General's office said this new smartphone initiative aims to complement this effort.
