Digital Futures Curriculum: Fall 2026 Educator Pilot

About the Lesson Plan Activities

Selected educators will receive a lesson packet matched to the grade band indicated in their application.

Early Elementary Lesson Packet (TK–2)
Students practice recognizing unsafe, uncomfortable, or confusing digital situations, identifying trusted adults, and using the routine “Stop. Move Away. Tell a Trusted Adult.” Fictional scenarios and guided practice make these safety skills concrete.

Upper Elementary Lesson Packet (Grades 3–5)
Students identify unsafe, uncomfortable, or confusing digital situations and practice choosing an appropriate response. Guided activities help them explain their choices and recognize when to seek trusted-adult support.

Middle School Lesson Packet (Grades 6–8)
Students assess risk in fictional digital scenarios, consider how situations can escalate, and match their responses to the level of concern. Activities emphasize explaining decisions and seeking appropriate support.

High School Lesson Packet (Grades 9–12)
Students assess complex digital situations by considering severity, scale, persistence, and reversibility. Activities help them choose appropriate support pathways and identify practical tools for protecting privacy and safety.

Each lesson packet includes a ready-to-use, approximately 30-minute lesson, educator instructions, and accompanying activity materials. Materials require minimal preparation and printing, with no additional classroom technology needed.

What Students Will Practice:

1. Recognizing how digital experiences affect feelings, habits, and relationships.
2. Using age-appropriate strategies for healthy digital habits, safer participation, and seeking support.
3. Making thoughtful choices that support their own wellbeing and care for others.

Estimated Time Commitment:

Times are approximate. Plan for 1–2 hours total, depending on preparation and any adaptations needed.

Materials for the Lesson:

• Pilot Materials
  • Early Elementary Lesson Package: TK–2
  • Upper Elementary Lesson Package: Grades 3–5
  • Middle School Lesson Package: Grades 6–8
  • High School Lesson Package: Grades 9–12
• Educator Feedback Surveys*
  • Preview the Materials Review Survey
  • Preview the Facilitation Feedback Survey

*Surveys included here as a preview; actual surveys to be completed and submitted will be provided upon selection

APPLY FOR THE PILOT HERE

Opportunity for $500 in DonorsChoose Classroom Materials Credit:

If you are eligible and selected, you may receive $500 in DonorsChoose classroom materials credit for completing the pilot:

1. Review your assigned lesson and complete the materials-review survey before facilitating.
2. Lead the approximately 30-minute classroom activity, then complete the facilitation survey with feedback on your experience.

Funding opportunity is available for the first 40 teachers who complete all required pilot activities. Funding is limited; your acceptance email will confirm whether a classroom materials award is available to you. UCLA CTS will use your feedback to strengthen the curriculum before its full release in 2027.

See the FAQ for award eligibility, completion requirements, and distribution timing.

To be eligible for the materials credit, you need to:

1. 1. Work with TK–12 students in California. Be able to lead the activity in a classroom setting. Priority is given to educators working with 20 or more students; smaller groups are welcome to apply.
   2. Meet DonorsChoose’s educator and school eligibility requirements. Generally, this means working at least 0.75 FTE at an eligible public school (including charter schools), directly teaching or counseling students, and being responsible for your own instruction or equivalent work.

• Be selected for the pilot and receive confirmation that a classroom materials award is available to you.

1. Review your assigned lesson and complete the materials-review survey before facilitating. Materials require minimal printing and internet access to download; no additional classroom technology is needed.
2. Lead the approximately 30-minute classroom activity using the provided materials, adapting as needed for your students.
3. Complete the facilitation survey afterward. Both surveys must include specific, substantive feedback grounded in your review and classroom experience.
4. Complete all of the above requirements by November 6, or another deadline agreed to in writing with the pilot coordinators.

See the FAQ for full eligibility requirements and award details.

1. What is Digital Futures?

Digital Futures is a research-based TK–12 curriculum designed to help young people build the habits, relationship skills, and judgment they need to navigate digital life safely, thoughtfully, and with increasing independence. It provides practical lessons, activities, and guidance for educators, families, and other youth-serving adults across schools, homes, and community settings.

Digital experiences shape how young people learn, communicate, form identities, and experience belonging. Social media, online interactions, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence also create challenges involving attention, privacy, misinformation, cyberbullying, and wellbeing. Digital Futures helps adults support young people in developing practical skills they can apply across changing technologies.

The curriculum is organized around five connected areas: Self & Feelings, Habits & Protection, Relationships, Understanding Digital Systems, and Agency & Decision-Making. Lessons build across four grade bands–including early elementary (TK–2), upper elementary (grades 3–5), middle school (grades 6–8), and high school (grades 9–12)–with age-appropriate scenarios, activities, and increasing opportunities for independent judgment.

Digital Futures was developed through a partnership between UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), including its Office of School Health and Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division. The development of Digital Futures draws on research review, public health guidance, practitioner insight, and student and expert input. The California Government Operations Agency (GovOps) supports the pilot and implementation effort, connecting the project with statewide priorities and partnerships.

This curriculum supports California’s broader prevention and youth behavioral health efforts, including CDPH’s implementation of the Behavioral Health Services Act and Assembly Bill 1282, which addresses the mental health impacts of social media on children and youth. As technologies and policies evolve, Digital Futures equips trusted adults with tools to help young people build healthy habits, strengthen relationships, and make informed decisions.

Learn more about Digital Futures and the broader project.

2. Why are you piloting the curriculum?

The fall pilot gives classroom educators an opportunity to help strengthen Digital Futures before its full release in 2027. Research provides an important foundation, but we also need to understand how the materials work within real classroom schedules.

By reviewing and facilitating a selected lesson, educators will help identify whether the materials are clear, useful, developmentally appropriate, and feasible. Their feedback will highlight what engages students, what requires adaptation, and what instructions or supports need improvement.

Survey responses will be aggregated and anonymized for analysis and reporting, then summarized to identify key recommendations for updating the curriculum materials ahead of the full release in 2027. Educators and schools will not be named, and responses will not be quoted, without permission.

This phase of the pilot focuses on refining the curriculum and understanding the conditions needed to use it successfully. It is not designed to establish particular student learning or behavioral outcomes.

Additional pilot activities are planned for early 2027, expanding outreach to a broader range of curriculum users, including families, caregivers, community organizations, and other adults who support students. Findings from the fall pilot will inform that next phase and the curriculum’s broader release. More details about additional participation opportunities will be shared as plans develop.

3. Who can participate?

California TK–12 classroom teachers, including general and special education teachers, are encouraged to apply. Other educators, such as school counselors, instructional coaches, and school administrators, are also welcome to apply provided they can lead the activity in a classroom setting with 20 or more students.

Educators who work with fewer than 20 students, are still welcome to apply, although priority will be given to applicants who can facilitate the activity with 20 or more students.

Your assigned lesson will be matched to the grade band indicated in your application: early elementary (TK–2), upper elementary (grades 3–5), middle school (grades 6–8), and high school (grades 9–12).

Eligibility to participate in the pilot is separate from eligibility for the $500 in DonorsChoose classroom materials credit. Please review the award eligibility information below.

4. What will I do, and how much time will it take?

Plan for approximately 1 to 2 hours total, including reviewing materials, preparing for and leading the activity, and completing two educator feedback surveys:

1. Before facilitating: Review your assigned lesson, instructions, and accompanying materials. Complete the materials-review survey with feedback on their clarity, usability, and fit for your students.
2. Lead the activity: Facilitate the provided, ready-to-use, approximately 30-minute lesson with your students.
3. After facilitating: Complete a separate survey describing your classroom experience, including what worked, any challenges, adaptations you made, general observations of student engagement, and recommendations for improving the materials.

You may adapt the activity as needed for your students and classroom setting, including language, pacing, examples, and participation options. Please preserve the lesson’s core learning purpose and skill-building activity, and describe any adaptations in your post-facilitation survey. Your feedback will help us understand what adjustments make the materials more useful and accessible.

To complete the pilot, you must facilitate the activity and submit both surveys with specific, substantive feedback grounded in your review and classroom experience. Responses should provide enough detail for pilot coordinators to understand how you used the materials and what happened during the activity. Brief, concrete examples are helpful; lengthy responses are not required. Candid or critical feedback is welcome and will not affect classroom materials award eligibility.

If a required response is missing or needs clarification, we will contact you and explain what additional information is needed before confirming completion.

You can preview the survey questions on the pilot website before applying or deciding whether to accept an invitation.

Materials and instructions will be provided–you will not need to create a new lesson. Participation is asynchronous, with no required webinars or live meetings.

5. What materials and support will I receive?

UCLA CTS will provide your assigned lesson, educator instructions, accompanying activity materials, and links to both feedback surveys.

Materials are designed to require minimal printing. You only need internet access to view or download the materials and complete the online surveys. No additional equipment or technology is required to facilitate the classroom activity.

Optional UCLA CTS office hours will be offered as needed during the pilot window. Dates and access information (i.e., zoom link to participate) will be posted on this page and shared with selected participants. You can also email digitalfutures@seis.ucla.edu with questions.

6. What is the classroom materials award, and how does it work?

This is a volunteer opportunity, with a limited number of classroom materials awards available to selected, eligible educators.

DonorsChoose is a nonprofit organization that helps educators obtain classroom materials through funded requests. The award is provided as a gift code to support an eligible DonorsChoose classroom project, rather than as cash or a general-purpose gift card. Project costs may include processing and fulfillment fees, shipping, and taxes, so the credit may cover less than $500 in classroom supplies.

If you are eligible for the classroom materials award and funds are available when you are accepted, your acceptance email will confirm that a gift code has been reserved for you, conditional on completing all required pilot activities by November 6, 2026 or another deadline agreed to in writing with the pilot coordinators.

After you facilitate the activity and submit both surveys, the UCLA CTS team will review your submissions to confirm that they include specific, substantive feedback grounded in your materials review and classroom experience. Brief, concrete examples are sufficient; lengthy responses are not required. Candid or critical feedback is welcome and will not affect classroom materials award eligibility.

Once the UCLA CTS team reviews both surveys and confirms that your responses include specific, substantive feedback from your materials review and classroom facilitation, your participation will be considered complete. We will notify you of this confirmation and distribute your reserved gift code as soon as it is available–expected by January 2027, potentially sooner.

If you anticipate needing additional time, contact the pilot coordinators before your deadline to discuss an extension. Any alternative deadline must be agreed to with the coordinators in writing to maintain your classroom materials award eligibility. If you miss your agreed deadline without contacting pilot coordinators beforehand, your reserved award will be released and made available to another participant.

When you receive your code, DonorsChoose will provide redemption instructions and the applicable expiration date, currently anticipated to be June 30, 2027.

7. Who is eligible for the classroom materials award?

Award recipients must be selected for the Digital Futures pilot, meet DonorsChoose’s eligibility requirements, have an award reserved in their acceptance email, and complete all required activities by their agreed deadline.

DonorsChoose generally requires educators to:

• Work at an eligible school, in a public district or at a public charter school.
• Be employed full-time, or at least 0.75 full-time equivalent, by an eligible public school, charter school, or Head Start employer.
• Have a primary responsibility of directly teaching or counseling students.
• Be responsible for their own lesson plans or equivalent work, rather than primarily assisting another educator.

Eligible roles can include classroom teachers, librarians, counselors, school nurses, and other educators who meet these requirements. Primarily administrative roles, instructional aides, substitutes, part-time teachers, and after-school teachers are generally ineligible. Private schools and standalone after-school programs are also generally ineligible.

Please review DonorsChoose’s full educator eligibility requirements and school eligibility requirements.

Eligibility to participate in the pilot is separate from classroom materials award eligibility. Educators who do not qualify for DonorsChoose materials award, or who are accepted after awards have been allocated, may still participate voluntarily. Your acceptance email will explain your award status before you begin.

8. How do I apply, and what are the deadlines?

Complete the Pilot Application by November 2, 2026, and complete all required pilot activities by November 6, 2026.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply early to allow time to receive your assignment, review the materials, and plan your classroom activity.

If, after being accepted, you anticipate difficulty completing the pilot by the deadline, please email digitalfutures@seis.ucla.edu as soon as possible–we are open to working with educators who may need additional time.

9. How are participants selected, and when will I hear back?

Most educators who meet the participation requirements will be accepted. We review applications to confirm eligibility and match participants with the appropriate grade-band materials. We also seek representation across grade bands and varied school contexts, with priority given to educators who can facilitate the activity with 20 or more students.

Applicants will usually hear back within one business day. Selected educators will receive a tailored acceptance email with their assigned materials, participation instructions, and confirmation of whether classroom materials award is available to them at the time of acceptance.

Acceptance into the pilot does not guarantee a classroom materials award. If you are eligible and selected to receive an award, your email will confirm this and explain the completion requirements. If an award is unavailable, you are still welcome to participate voluntarily.

10. Can I participate if classroom materials award funds are no longer available?

Yes. We encourage you to participate even if classroom materials award funds are no longer available at the time you apply and you are selected to participate. Your feedback will still help shape a statewide digital wellness and safety curriculum before its broader release. UCLA CTS will let you know before you begin if award funds are unavailable, so you can decide whether to proceed.

Participation offers practical experience testing instructional materials and contributing to curriculum development.

Educators who complete all required pilot activities may request a completion letter or certificate documenting their participation and contribution.

11. What should I know about using the activity in my classroom and protecting student privacy?

We are asking for educator feedback–not information about individual students. Your surveys should describe the materials, your facilitation experience, and general observations of the group’s engagement. Do not submit student survey responses, student work, individual student records, or personally identifiable student information.

Do not include student names, identifying details, direct quotes, screenshots, or descriptions that could identify a particular student. The activity is designed to use fictional scenarios and general discussion; students should not be asked to disclose personal experiences, sensitive information, or private account details.

Educators should incorporate the activity into an appropriate instructional setting and follow their school or district’s usual procedures for classroom activities, family notification, and acceptance of classroom resources. Please share the opportunity with administrators and colleagues.

The pilot team does not request parent/guardian consent forms because participation involves educator feedback rather than collecting information directly from students. Any notification or consent procedures applicable in your school or district should still be followed.

If you have questions about permissions, privacy, or how the activity fits your setting, please contact digitalfutures@seis.ucla.edu before beginning.

Contact: digitalfutures@seis.ucla.edu