For more details on how your school or organization can fund digital citizenship you can also download these pdfs on Title II Part A and Title IV Part A funding and how Digital Respons-Ability can specifically support your programs.
So, your school or organization wants to teach digital citizenship. Great! But how can you fund it?
With digital citizenship being a multidisciplinary subject, it means there are increased ways to access funding. Digital citizenship touches on topics like parent and community engagement, teacher education, school safety, educational technology, English language arts, mental health, and more.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and funds key areas for student success. Some of those funding provisions can support digital citizenship learning such as:
Title I, Part A funding
A school is eligible for Title 1 funding if at least 40% of its students are from low-income families. This flexible funding can go into numerous areas as long as it’s directed toward the students. One percent of Title 1 funding is required to be spent on parents to get them more involved in their child’s education, such as teaching digital citizenship to parents.
Title IV, Part A funding
Title IV, Part A funding helps support equity of opportunity for all students. Also known as the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (SSAE) this funding helps local education agencies (LEAs) to provide access to education, improve conditions for student learning and improve the use of technology to help students become digitally literate.
Title II, Part A funding
Title II, Part A of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act helps school districts support teaching and leading. The goals and priorities of Title IIA are to:
- Increase student achievement
- Improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers and school leaders
- Increase the number of teachers and other school leaders
- Provide low-income and minority students greater access to quality and effective teaching and leading
Title IIA grants allow state educational agencies to offer sub-grants to local education agencies (LEAs) These LEAs have the flexibility to use these funds to meet the goals of the Title IIA funds which can help support digital citizenship professional development for educators.
There are other federal, state, and local grants that can help fund digital citizenship outside of the ESSA including:
E-rate funding
E-rate funding, otherwise known as The Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund, is a program where schools and libraries can apply for federal funds for internet access, hardware, and telecommunications. E-rate funding falls under the work of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Schools and libraries must comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) to qualify for E-rate discounts on internet access and broadband services.
This means for schools must “provide for educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response.” For schools and libraries to receive E-rate discounts, they must address digital citizenship.
Funding for libraries and media centers
Libraries are often the heart of where digital citizenship happens in schools. Libraries are eligible for different funding sources such as with the American Library Association and the Institute of Museum and Library Services that can go into education, like digital citizenship.
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
The Department of Justice (DOJ) administers grants in numerous areas, including school safety. Some of those grants can be found with the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) or by funding that flows to Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces.
Funding for the area of cybersecurity
There is growing interest from the federal and state level in cybersecurity. Part of digital citizenship includes online safety and online privacy. Digital citizens know how to protect their data and themselves from scams and hackers online. For more updates from the Department of Education see their cybersecurity resources website.
Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century (Perkins V) Act
Being an empowered and responsible digital citizen helps students prepare for careers and college. The Perkins V Act provides federal funds to districts to provide all students, not those currently enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) classes career exploration and development activities. The new law (reauthorized in 2019) also allows increased funding to foster youth, students in correctional systems, rural areas, and more.
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act
Funded through the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), there are grants and initiatives to help states improve program quality and enhance adult education. Part of this adult education can be around digital citizenship, including digital literacy, navigating the digital economy, career readiness, and more that would help adult learners.
Contact us for more details on how your school or organization can fund digital citizenship! You can also download these pdfs on Title II Part A and Title IV Part A funding and how Digital Respons-Ability can specifically support your programs.
