Meta is expanding its school safety efforts on Instagram with new tools designed to help schools communicate with students, parents, and wider school communities.

The new features build on Meta’s School Partnership Program, which was launched last year with the International Society for Technology in Education and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ISTE+ASCD).

The program helps educators report potential teen safety issues directly to Meta. So far, Meta says it has partnered with nearly 17,000 schools.

New Hub for School Related Accounts

Meta said feedback from school administrators, educators, and parents highlighted the challenge of keeping students informed about developments across their school communities.

In response, Instagram is creating a centralized hub for school related accounts. The aim is to make it easier for schools to communicate with students while supporting safer experiences on the platform.

Schools that sign up as school partners on Instagram will have access to several features.

Channels

Schools can use Channels to share quick updates with followers, including parents and the wider community.

Only school administrators can post in these Channels.

School Stories and Notes

School related accounts can publish Stories and Notes that are visible to all verified students.

School administrators can monitor and remove these Stories and Notes.

Prioritized Reporting

Reports submitted by school partners that may violate Instagram’s Community Standards will receive priority for review.

Schools will also receive status updates on their reports. They will be notified when Instagram takes action.

Educational Resources

Instagram will provide resources to help educators, parents, guardians, and students navigate the platform safely.

New Features for Verified Students

Verified students at schools participating in the School Partnership Program will also gain access to additional features.

Clubs and Teams

School administrators, educators, and students can add clubs and teams within their participating school.

For example, a school could create a centralized space for a group such as the “Central High School Mathletes.” These spaces can be used to communicate upcoming events and other information.

School Stories and Notes

Students can view school announcements, game results, and event reminders through School Stories and Notes.

Only club and team account administrators and School Partnership Program administrators can post.

Student Banner and Directory

Students can view a directory of other students at their school. They can also create a school banner.

These features are visible only to other students and teen followers they follow back.

Safety Protections for Teen Users

Meta said the new features are designed to support educators while helping teens stay informed outside classroom hours.

The company also emphasized that social media should not become a distraction from school.

Instagram’s Teen Accounts give parents tools to block their teens from using Instagram during school hours.

Meta also said safety protections are being built into the new features so teens can explore interests and express creativity in an age appropriate environment.

How Schools Can Join

Middle and high schools in the US can sign up for the School Partnership Program through Instagram by selecting Account type and tools or Business tools and controls.

Schools can find the full step by step instructions here.

Additional information is available through Instagram’s educator resources.

Meta has partnered with third party validator UNiDAYS to verify high school students before they can join their verified school community.

Students who are not verified will not have access to these features.

Clubs and team posts are intended to provide a centralized information hub for school communities. Administrators and educators at participating schools can also remove Club and Team accounts, Stories, and Notes.

Through Family Center, parents can also get insights into their teen’s school participation. This includes notifications if their teen leaves or joins a school.

Supporting Safer School Communities

The new tools expand Meta’s existing approach to teen safety, which includes Teen Accounts across Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and Threads.

Meta also recently announced an agreement with 52 bipartisan state Attorneys General across the US that will introduce additional restrictions to support teens and parents.

With the School Partnership Program and its new school focused features, Meta is extending its school safety measures to communication and participation within school communities on Instagram.

Meta school safety tools are now being expanded to help schools communicate, manage reports, and provide verified students with access to relevant school information.

Related post

View all