Schools and community hosts have funded screenings of our movies in a wide variety of ways!
On this page you'll find common examples we see from hosts, along with a database of federal and state level funding sources hosts have used to fund their screening activity with us.
Over 20,000 schools and communities have already made it happen! Here are some common ways hosts have funded their screenings with us:
Many schools partner with their PTA or PTO to help cover screening costs and promote the event.
These groups often provide small grants, volunteer support, and help with outreach, turning the screening into a community-wide experience for families.
Some hosts offset screening costs by selling low-cost tickets or accepting voluntary donations at the door.
This approach works well for family nights or community events and often raises more than enough to fund the license while building engagement and ownership.
Many schools draw from existing discretionary or wellness budgets to fund screenings, especially those tied to social-emotional learning, student wellbeing, mental health, substance/tobacco prevention and media literacy.
Principals or counselors often lead the effort, supported by administrative approval.
Schools frequently partner with local health organizations, education foundations, or youth programs to co-fund screenings.
These collaborations often extend the event’s reach, add speakers or panelists, and help sustain broader wellbeing initiatives.
Community coalitions and youth-focused nonprofits often sponsor or co-host screenings and buy memberships for their partner schools.
These groups support areas like substance/tobacco use prevention, restorative practices, media literacy around effects of digital use, mental health and wellbeing, and much more.
Screenagers aligns with many nationally available funding programs, with examples for both schools and other organizations serving education and youth wellbeing.
Last Updated: November 2025
Title I, Part A: Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies
Provides financial assistance to state and local educational agencies to help ensure all children, particularly those from low-income families, meet challenging academic standards. Funds can be used for schoolwide or targeted assistance programs that improve student achievement.
The U.S. Department of Education's (ED's) data on participation in the program show that in the last measured year, 59,743 public schools across the country used Title I funds.
Use included providing additional academic support and learning opportunities, as well as special preschool, after-school, and summer programs to extend and reinforce the regular school curriculum.
Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II, Part A)
Provides funds to states and school districts to improve student achievement by strengthening the quality, effectiveness, and retention of teachers, principals, and other school leaders. Funds support educator professional development and leadership initiatives.
Title II, Part A give the flexibility to use these funds creatively to address challenges to teacher and principal quality, whether they concern preparation and qualifications of new teachers and school leaders, recruitment and hiring, induction, professional development, retention, or the need for more capable principals and other school leaders to serve as effective school leaders.
Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program (Title IV, Part A)
Helps states and school districts improve academic achievement by supporting three key areas: access to a well-rounded education, safe and healthy school environments, and effective use of technology to enhance learning and digital literacy.
Supports Title IV goals by promoting digital literacy, healthy technology use, and student well-being. The films and curriculum can be used to strengthen social-emotional learning, support safe and healthy school initiatives, and engage parents and educators in conversations about screen balance and academic focus.
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund / American Rescue Plan (ARP)
Provides emergency relief funds to state and local educational agencies to address the impact of COVID-19 on schools. Supports safe reopening, student learning recovery, and programs that promote academic, social, and emotional well-being.
Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)
Supports after-school, weekend, and summer programs that provide academic enrichment, youth development, and family engagement for students attending high-poverty or low-performing schools.
Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Demonstration Grant
Funds innovative partnerships to train and expand school-based mental health providers for employment in schools and local education agencies (LEAs).
Screenagers can be used as a training and awareness tool for educators, counselors, and future mental health professionals to build understanding around youth stress, anxiety, and social-emotional health. Screenings and guided discussions can complement professional learning and mental health workforce initiatives.
School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH)
Increase school-based mental health providers and services.
Use films + discussions for staff PD, student SEL blocks, and family nights that reinforce referral pathways and help-seeking.
Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFEC)
Strengthen family–school partnerships and evidence-based family engagement.
Family screenings + take-home tools to deepen parent capacity around tech, sleep, stress, and learning support.
Full-Service Community Schools Program (FSCS)
Integrate academics, health, and social services via school-community partnerships.
Use films for community schools’ family engagement, prevention education, and SEL enrichment blocks.
Promise Neighborhoods (PN)
Cradle-to-career supports improving academic and well-being outcomes in high-need areas.
Community and school screenings as family engagement + youth development activities within PN pipelines.
Project AWARE
Advance youth mental health awareness and systems coordination across schools/communities.
Screenings + curriculum for staff, students, and families to normalize support, reduce stigma, and teach coping skills.
Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT)
Train school/community adults to identify, understand, and respond to MH concerns.
Pair film segments with MHAT trainings and facilitator guides to strengthen identification, conversation, and referral.
OJJDP FY25 Enhancing School Capacity To Address Youth Violence
Build prevention/response capacity, mentoring, and prosocial skills.
Use as evidence-informed prevention and parent engagement to strengthen decision-making and reduce risk.
DFC Support Program (SAMHSA / ONDCP)
Funds community coalitions to prevent youth substance use (up to $125,000/year). Funds may support education, community engagement, and film-based prevention programs like Screenagers.
Coalitions can include media/film screening + discussions (e.g. Screenagers) as part of their prevention strategy
DFC Mentoring Program / Coalitional Enhancement
Helps newer coalitions become eligible for DFC, or provides extra capacity / support
Could be used to seed a Screenagers pilot or add media components
SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) Grants (SAMHSA’s TI-24-010 NOFO)
Funds implementation of screening / intervention models in schools, health facilities, community settings
Screenagers could serve as a prevention education or referral adjunct in school settings under SBIRT strategies
Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment Block Grant (SABG)
State-level block funding for prevention & treatment programs, administered through state substance abuse agencies
States sometimes allocate these to school-based prevention, and their stakeholders can advocate to include Screenagers in prevention line items
Community-Based Coalition Enhancement / Local Drug Crises Grants (CARA)
Grants for coalitions to respond to local drug issue, build capacity
Coalitions could include Screenagers screening & discussion in their local response plan
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP Act) Grant
Funds programs that prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth ages 12–20 by supporting evidence-based community initiatives, capacity building, and collaboration across schools, coalitions, and local agencies.
Aligns directly with STOP Act goals through its focus on alcohol and substance use prevention, youth education, and community engagement. Screenings, discussions, and curriculum can be integrated into prevention strategies or coalition programming.
Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Program
Provides funding to schools and county offices of education in California to prevent and reduce the use of tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products among students through education, intervention, and youth engagement.
Directly supports TUPE objectives by educating students, parents, and educators about vaping, nicotine addiction, and media influence on youth behavior. Screenings, classroom lessons, and family engagement events can be used as prevention and education tools.
JUUL Settlement By state
State AG settlements fund youth nicotine prevention/education and enforcement.
Use for vaping prevention nights, student lessons, and parent education; specifically SUI
Opioid Settlement Funds (State & Local)
Funds evidence-based prevention, education, and treatment initiatives using opioid settlement allocations. Aligns with mandates for prevention and education. Screenagers connects upstream risk factors with prevention outcomes.
Aligns with prevention and education mandates by addressing upstream risk factors. Can be implemented in schools or community programs as part of prevention strategies.