Inside a New Partnership to Help Schools Keep Students Safe Online

Schools increasingly find themselves on the front lines of managing the ripple effects of students’ online lives — from digital distractions that interfere with learning to online bullying and harmful content — leaving educators to address these challenges without the tools or authority to intervene effectively. In response, one social media platform is partnering directly with schools to create safer online spaces for students and more responsive systems for reporting and addressing issues.

To explore how this school partnership is taking shape, EdSurge spoke with Antigone Davis, global head of safety at Meta, and Dr. Kevin Martin, principal at Parkway Northeast Middle School in Missouri. Davis leads safety efforts across teams, ensuring that protections are built into products and company policies. A former middle school teacher and senior advisor to a state attorney general, she brings a dual perspective on youth development and public policy to her work of addressing the complex challenges of online safety.

Martin has served as principal for the past seven years. He is committed to creating inclusive, academically rigorous and emotionally safe environments, with a particular focus on how technology influences student development and school culture. Earlier in his career, he worked as a classroom teacher and instructional leader, experiences that continue to shape his approach to schoolwide digital citizenship.

EdSurge: What inspired your team to support schools in managing social media safely?

Davis: We’ve heard from educators, parents and experts that schools sometimes struggle to manage online student behavior. We also know teachers can play an integral role in equipping young people to have safe, responsible and enriching online experiences, and we take their feedback seriously.

Recently, we introduced a new teen experience designed to give parents peace of mind that their teens are having safe, age-appropriate experiences on Instagram, with built-in protections turned on automatically. In addition, the new School Partnership program, developed with support from ISTE+ASCD, is designed to help educators report potential teen safety issues, including bullying, directly to us for quicker review and removal.

These updates were designed in tandem to create youth protective defaults that parents could control and a pathway for teachers to report and manage unwanted behavior that may start in school but end up online.

What motivated you to participate in a pilot program focused on improving online safety?

Martin: As a middle school principal, I see firsthand how social media and digital engagement impact our students, both positively and negatively.

I joined a school partnership pilot because I believe schools can’t do this work alone. We need real partnerships with tech companies to better educate, support and protect our kids in the spaces they navigate daily. I was thankful when I learned about this, as this was something we have been talking about for years, that social media companies need to be more involved, while allowing schools to limit these exhausting and at times unsafe online distractions quickly.

What key initiatives have you been involved in that aim to support schools in navigating digital environments?

Davis: We launched an extensive education resource providing research-informed lessons and resources to help young people develop the skills they need to become responsible digital citizens. This resource also includes tips for parents and professional development materials for teachers.

Most recently, we partnered with an organization focused on child safety to develop a free curriculum to help middle schoolers stay safe online, including how to spot exploitation online and seek help. We also collaborate with a national caregiver and teacher organization to host workshops across the country, providing hands-on tips for navigating the online world safely and supporting local school events to share tools and resources with families.

How has this partnership program impacted your school community?

Martin: We integrated partnership resources into our Technology Parent Advisory Board, sharing tips and tools with caregivers in addition to teaching students, staff and families how to report harmful posts quickly. Moving to a phone-free school and raising awareness about technology has led to increased student engagement, decreased online bullying and an overall positive shift in the school environment. Parents now have resources to better understand their children’s digital lives, and staff feel more empowered to address online issues. It’s helped build a collective culture of awareness and responsibility around digital safety.

When students feel informed and supported, they make courageous choices, and that’s exactly what this work is about. We don’t just take away the tools; we make them developmentally appropriate. Several times, students and families reported posts, and we were able to respond quickly so students could stay focused on learning.

What aspects of the program have been most valuable in supporting educators and students?

Martin: One of the most valuable aspects of the program has been having direct access to tools and channels that allow us to quickly report and escalate social media posts that cause significant disruptions in school. In the past, we often felt powerless when harmful or distracting content was posted online, waiting days for a response.

Through this partnership, we’ve gained the ability to flag content for quicker review, with clearer pathways for removal or suspension when necessary. It has made a real difference in our ability to maintain a safe, focused learning environment and show students that their well-being matters, both in school and online.

What are the most pressing challenges schools face regarding online safety?

Davis: Teachers tell us that bullying is still a big concern. This new program makes it easier for teachers to report bullying on Instagram involving their students, so we can prioritize those reports for quicker review, response and removal where applicable.

There are also innovative ways that technology can help prevent issues like bullying and help young people develop healthy online habits. For example, we use AI to recognize when someone may be about to post an unkind comment and encourage them to rethink before posting. We’ve also introduced features to help teens switch off at night by turning off notifications and sending auto-replies to late-night messages.

Partnerships between tech companies and schools can open up new ways to create positive, engaging learning experiences. Technology can be a powerful tool to support academic growth. These partnerships allow us to hear directly from educators about their needs and challenges. Their input helps guide everything we do. We’re committed to building tools with educators, not just for them, making sure their voices are part of the process every step of the way.

What advice would you give to other schools considering joining this initiative?

Martin: Jump in! The work is timely, and the support is real. Online safety is not a suggestion — it’s a necessity. Being part of this pilot gives you tools, a network of support and a platform to advocate for your school’s needs in the digital space. And more importantly, it gives students a stronger, safer foundation to grow and connect.

We can’t just ban cellphones and think it will solve all the problems. We have to use all of the resources together to create developmentally appropriate policies and procedures that help our young people understand the impact of the digital world. Back in the day, you could write a note and throw it away for it never to be seen again. Today, one post can carry consequences far beyond what a middle schooler’s mind is even capable of understanding.

For more information about joining the Instagram School Partnership Program, visit about.instagram.com/community/educators. To access the ISTE+ASCD digital citizenship lessons, visit iste.org/digital-citizenship-lessons.