Meta is expanding Instagram’s School Partnership Program in the United States with new tools designed to help schools communicate with students while giving educators more ways to report safety concerns.
The expansion comes as Meta faces continued scrutiny over how its platforms affect younger users. The company said nearly 17,000 schools have joined the program so far.
The expanded Instagram school program will create a central hub for participating school accounts and introduce several new features.
Schools will be able to use Channels to share updates with students, parents and the wider school community. They will also have access to Stories and Notes that can be seen by verified students.
Instagram is also adding Clubs and Teams, allowing school communities to create spaces for groups such as sports teams and student clubs. Students at participating schools will be able to see announcements, events and other updates in these spaces.
Another addition is a student directory and school banner. These features are limited to verified school communities, with Meta using third-party service UNiDAYS to verify high school students before they can access the new features.
Schools will get faster safety reporting
The program is also intended to give schools a more direct way to raise concerns with Instagram.
Reports submitted by participating schools that may involve violations of Instagram’s Community Standards will receive prioritized review. Schools will also receive updates on the status of their reports and notifications when Instagram takes action.
The original School Partnership Program launched in 2025 with a focus on helping educators report issues such as online bullying directly to Instagram.
