New Providence Schools launch districtwide digital-wellness initiative centered on book read

New Providence school officials and community partners told the Board of Education on Sept. 24 that the district is launching a districtwide digital‑wellness initiative built around a staff and community book read of The Anxious Generation by psychologist Jonathan Haidt. The effort will include three family and parent engagement sessions this fall and a target to develop and deliver a districtwide program by March 2026 that includes student workshops, professional development and family events.

Administrators said the work ties directly to the district’s strategic planning goal to strengthen student mental health through social‑emotional learning and mindful technology use. “By March 2026, we’re looking to develop and deliver a districtwide digital wellness initiative that includes at least one student workshop per grade band, one professional development session and one family engagement event,” a district staff member said during the presentation.

The presentation described a staged rollout: an introductory evening on Oct. 15 (summary of the book and panel of experts), age‑banded follow‑ups — an elementary session on Nov. 11 and a combined middle/high session on Nov. 13 — and a December session to summarize teacher survey results and community priorities. District staff said roughly 87 teachers and staff are participating in the internal book read and that the district will collect qualitative and checklist feedback using Google forms to inform December recommendations.

Community partner Deb Merrick described the three‑session format and said the sessions will include local parent coaches, psychologists and practitioners who have implemented practices such as ‘‘Wait Till 8’’ (a community approach encouraging families to delay smartphones until grade eight). Merrick said session two will be more of a brainstorming and prioritization workshop by age band, and session three will invite students to help set priorities based on teacher surveys and community feedback.

Board members and presenters emphasized that the initiative is educational and collaborative, not disciplinary. District staff said the sessions will be open to parents regardless of whether they have read the book. The administration described the work as part of an ongoing professional development plan and asked board members to attend the Oct. 15 introductory event if possible.

This discussion was informational and directive; no formal board vote was recorded. The administration said it will compile results from surveys and the three community sessions to present recommended next steps at a later meeting.