Safe, Healthy and Responsible Digital Life Grant program

Safe, Healthy and Responsible Digital Life Grant program is sponsored by Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). This state-funded program in Massachusetts provides grants to public school districts, charter public schools, and educational collaboratives to teach students about online safety, cyberbullying, data privacy, and how to spot false and AI-generated content, including deepfakes.

The grants can be used for age-appropriate classroom instruction, materials, educator training, and resources to help families support healthy social media use.

FY2027 Fund Code 0177: Safe, Healthy, and Responsible Digital Life Grant Program - Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs Select language, current language English Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs Educational Collaboratives Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Budget Inter-District School Choice School Finance Regulations Chapter 74 Nonresident Tuition FY2027: Safe, Healthy, and Responsible Digital Life Grant Program Grant-funded activities may address: media and information literacy, including misinformation, Artificial Intelligence AI -generated or manipulated content, and source credibility; privacy, security, digital footprints, cyberbullying, and online safety; responsible digital participation and communication; and educator and family capacity to support students' digital lives.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is guided by its Educational Vision and strategic priorities to ensure that all students, particularly students furthest from opportunity, have equitable opportunities to succeed.

The grant particularly supports Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE 's commitment to Accelerating Achievement , a cross-agency priority focused on providing differentiated and comprehensive supports to schools serving students furthest from opportunity.

It also provides opportunities to strengthen educator and family capacity and to support accessible and inclusive learning experiences for English learners, students with disabilities, and other locally identified student groups.

Applicants should use grant funds intentionally to advance the purpose of the Safe, Healthy, and Responsible Digital Life Grant while supporting Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE 's strategic priorities.

Priority will be given to proposals that: use developmentally appropriate, evidence-based instructional approaches; demonstrate readiness to begin implementation promptly and complete grant-funded activities by June 30, 2027; build educator capacity through professional learning and implementation support; provide meaningful opportunities for student voice, leadership, and engagement; meaningfully engage families and caregivers in supporting students' safe, responsible, and healthy digital lives; address equity and accessibility for English learners, students with disabilities, and other students furthest from opportunity; and demonstrate coordination across relevant instructional, student-support, family-engagement, and grants-management functions.

Competitive priority will be given to eligible applicants serving districts and schools participating in Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE 's Accelerating Achievement initiative. Projects centered solely on planning, purchasing materials, resource development, or one-time assemblies will not be prioritized for funding.

All Massachusetts public schools, including public charter schools, and educational collaboratives are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants serving districts and schools participating in Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE 's Accelerating Achievement initiative will receive competitive priority as described in the Priorities section of this Request for Proposal RFP .

FC 0177 State line item: 7010-0005 The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including General Laws G. L. c.

40A, § 3A, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. Approximately $1,750,000 is anticipated to be available through this competitive grant program.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE anticipates awarding approximately 25–30 grants of up to $60,000 each . If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this Request for Proposal RFP . This Request for Proposal RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this Request for Proposal RFP document.

Each grantee must budget $25,000 of its grant award for services provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE -approved vendor. This required set-aside will support professional learning, reflection, and data-collection activities as directed by Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE . Each grantee must establish an agreement with the selected vendor.

The vendor will invoice the grantee directly, and the grantee is responsible for timely payment from the set-aside in the approved grant budget. These payments are part of the grant award and do not constitute additional funding.

The remaining awarded funds may be budgeted for allowable implementation expenses, including curriculum and instructional materials; stipends for grant-related work conducted outside regular contracted hours; substitute costs necessary for grant-related professional learning or implementation; student and family learning activities; accessible and multilingual resources; and other Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE -approved implementation costs necessary to complete the project by June 30, 2027.

Grant funds may not be used for: Activities that are not directly related to the approved project. Costs incurred before the grant start date or after June 30, 2027. Any expenditure prohibited by state or federal law, regulation, or Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE grant requirements.

Upon Approval – June 30, 2027 Office of Instruction and Multilingual Education Alva Laster and Beth Williams-Breault Monday, November 9, 2026, by 5:00 PM Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p. m. Eastern on the date due.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Competitive Grant Submission Policy Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the " Local Educational Agency LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in Grants for Education Management System GEM$ .

In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the Local Educational Agency LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the Request for Proposal RFP . All responses must be submitted through proper steps and received by the due date/time listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

Responses not received on time will not be reviewed. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below.

Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity. Required application information will be submitted directly into Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE 's Grants for Education Management System ( GEM$ ) system.

See Submission Instructions below for details. Applicants should review the Safe, Healthy, and Responsible Digital Life Grant Key Requirements for detailed information regarding required project components, professional learning, curriculum and instructional resources, family engagement, student voice, equity and accessibility, reflection and data collection, required vendor set-asides, and allowable fund use.

Applicants may also use the Safe, Healthy, and Responsible Digital Life Grant Application Planning Template in Grants for Education Management System GEM$ to draft responses before entering required information into Grants for Education Management System GEM$ .

Questions received regarding this funding opportunity and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE 's responses will be posted on the Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics STEM Grants and Opportunities webpage . Questions must be submitted using Safe, Healthy, and Responsible Digital Life form by Friday, October 23, 2026. Responses will be posted by Wednesday October 28, 2026.

The FY27 0177 Safe, Healthy, and Responsible Digital Life Grant will be submitted in our Grants for Education Management System GEM$ system. Grants for Education Management System ( GEM$ ) New organizations that do not have an established Local Educational Agency LEA with Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE skip to Step 3. Step 1: Establish and assign proper roles before the grant due date/time.

Grant Submission at the Local Educational Agency LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, Local Educational Agency LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off.

All roles should be established prior to the grant due date, and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to Grants for Education Management System GEM$ , maintained at the Local Educational Agency LEA level or sent in to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Request for Proposal RFP contact as described on the individual forms.

The user guidance documents and forms are found on the Grants for Education Management System GEM$ homepage under Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system. Step 2: Submit the grant through all Local Educational Agency LEA steps in Grants for Education Management System GEM$ .

There are three Local Educational Agency LEA steps a competitive grant must be submitted through by the due date and time to be considered for funding: Local Educational Agency LEA Fiscal Representative Approved Local Educational Agency LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Competitive grant applications are considered submitted once the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the " Local Educational Agency LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in Grants for Education Management System GEM$ .

In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the Local Educational Agency LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the Request for Proposal RFP . Please plan accordingly. The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application.

Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes. Step 3: (If applicable) New organizations request temporary organization access.

New organizations are entities that have not been established as an Local Educational Agency LEA in Grants for Education Management System GEM$ .

Entities that do not have an organization established in Grants for Education Management System GEM$ must contact the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.

Temporary Access will need to be created by Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE before you can then assign the proper roles and submit the grant as outlined in Steps 1 and 2.

Failure to provide Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE with Grants for Education Management System GEM$ Temp Organization Access Request at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.

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