How Schools Fund Student Well-being Support and Address Social Media & Tech Use
Did you know that investing in student well-being has significant long-term benefits, yielding $11 for every $1 spent? Through results, such as better health, education, and job prospects for students, along with a lower risk of involvement in criminal activities, addressing modern life skills benefits the whole student.
Initiatives such as media literacy, character-building, and others have taken hold across the globe, particularly in the wake of rising mental health challenges in teens. And with most students using smartphones by the age of 11, student well-being has expanded beyond traditional ideas that focus solely on physical health and academic success.
Well-being now includes a broader range of factors, such as media literacy, cyberbullying prevention, and screen time use, and schools want to know: how can we empower and equip students with the skills to navigate social media and tech in ways that fuel their well-being, happiness, and future success?
We also know that supporting student well-being so that they can achieve academic success and have healthy, fulfilling lives requires a financial investment. Investing in students seems like a no-brainer for a school, but the CFOs reading this article are probably thinking: “The funding has to come from somewhere!”
Unfortunately, 48% of schools cite inadequate funds for student health and wellness. So, how can school leaders support their students, faculty, and families as they navigate social media and tech’s impact on student learning and well-being when
Let’s explore the different ways that schools are funding resources that create strong school communities ready to learn and grow together.
Existing Funding Sources to Support Student Well-Being
Often, schools don’t realize that they’ve already set budgets to equip students with future-ready skills, like technology, social media, and student well-being initiatives. These resources can have a positive impact on students, both in and out of the classroom, fostering a supportive classroom environment and student development. The budget simply might live under “Digital Citizenship,” “Wellness,“ or “Counseling.” Or perhaps it lies with the tech director or leaders of a division of the school. School leaders often have funds for important uses, particularly when the funds can be spent to support the entire school community.
Parent Organizations: Don’t underestimate the role your parent community can play in helping implement activities and programs that will directly benefit students. Aligning with your parent community and letting them provide support for whole-student development builds a stronger school culture.
Fundraising: Consider checking in with your development office! By educating your donors about the benefits of certain programs, you can lean on their support to assist in programs and activities that aid in student mental health and well-being. Schools can also fundraise in other areas to free up the budget to use on new expenses.
Endowments: Independent schools often draw a percentage of funds from their unrestricted endowments. There is a strong argument for using these funds in programs that address the whole student, focusing on how just a percentage of these funds can improve student well-being.
Rainy Day Funds: Most, if not all, budgets have a certain amount set aside over time for emergencies. And the case can be made that the rainy day has arrived. By allocating a small percentage of these funds to student well-being programs, schools can support students as they navigate current mental health concerns, with 1 in 5 students experiencing mental health concerns in a given year.
As schools find solutions that fit their needs and can effectively address the topics that heavily influence students, including technology, social media, and current events, consider these funding sources to ensure that your school can help students build life skills for the modern-day!
Government Funding
Learning is much harder when students aren’t healthy. It impacts their academic performance, engagement in the classroom, and overall well-being.
As school leaders, you have a unique opportunity to advocate for federal education grants that support initiatives aimed at enhancing student well-being in a tech-fueled world. By prioritizing funding for programs that address the impact of social media and tech on learning, we can create a more supportive environment for students both inside and outside of the classroom. Check out the list of government funding opportunities below and browse the National Education Association’s database to search for federal funding grants by your school’s challenge here.
Children’s Mental Health Initiative
Students face many mental health challenges due to societal pressures, trauma, and limited access to proper care. Fortunately, the Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) is here to make a difference. With up to $39 million invested in various programs available through 2025, CMHI offers crucial support to communities, helping schools and families better address the emotional and behavioral needs of young people. By funding comprehensive mental health services, facilitating partnerships with local organizations, and providing educational resources, the initiative works tirelessly to create a brighter, healthier future for students. Learn more here!
The Stronger Connections Grant
The Stronger Connections Grant, created under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, is designed to improve student safety and well-being by providing nearly $1 billion in funding to schools. Available through 2026, the grant aims to help schools create safer, healthier learning environments by addressing students’ mental, emotional, and behavioral health needs. Schools can use these funds for initiatives like mental health services, violence prevention programs, trauma-informed practices, and enhancing school safety infrastructure. The grant allows districts to partner with mental health providers and community organizations to support these efforts. Learn more about Stronger Connections here.
Academic Enrichment Grants
The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation provides Academic Enrichment Grants aimed at enhancing both in-class and extracurricular educational programs for students. These grants support various educational initiatives beyond regular class instruction, enhancing students’ overall academic experience.
These grants support proposals that enhance student’s intellectual, artistic, or creative abilities from low-income households. Recipients can receive up to $10,000 per year for a total of $20,000 over two years as long as the eligibility requirements continue to be met. Learn more here!
Title Funding
Billions of dollars in aid are provided annually through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to help boost learning opportunities for students, including initiatives that promote school safety and mental health resources. There are several different ways a school can qualify to receive this funding.
Every student deserves an equal opportunity for academic success, and Title 1 funding supports that. Title 1 funding, part of ESSA, can be used to supplement instruction for schools with students who are at risk of failing to meet state standards. It aims to help students from low-income families achieve the state academic standards. However, it’s not just students that need support, it’s educators, too.
We’ve heard from educators across the country that they do not feel equipped with the training to support student well-being. Fortunately, along with ESSA, there is Title II funding that focuses on supporting students by providing professional development to teachers, principals, and other school leaders. This, in turn, strengthens and improves the quality and effectiveness of instruction geared toward low-income students.
The need for teaching modern life skills is incredibly important for all schools, with the widespread adoption of online tools, remote learning, and AI. Luckily, ESSA’s Title IV funding provides aid to both public and private schools! This funding is used to implement activities that support a well-rounded education and to improve student digital literacy.
TSI’s Take
Schools can leverage government funding opportunities to invest in #WinAtSocial, The Social Institute’s positive and proactive approach to equipping students with the modern life skills necessary to succeed in today’s world. As part of their broader efforts to address student well-being and empower students to navigate social media and tech positively, #WinAtSocial has been proven to align with schools’ strategic goals, support their student’s well-being, and can be incorporated into any point of the school day.
These creatively sourced funds from current budgets and federal aid programs assist schools in getting the resources to teach students important modern life skills that will help them navigate their tech-fueled and social media-filled world. Want to learn more about how investing in student well-being positively impacts academic performance? Check out our case study, How St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School is empowering middle schoolers to be their best through a student-led, positive approach to social media, tech, & well-being.
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.