107 CREATIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ORGS ADVOCATE FOR META SETTLEMENT FUNDING
Movement City Youth Network at Lawrence CommunityWorks exhibits at 2026 Creative Sector Day. Photography by Steph Craig Studios.
Following the August 2026 historic $17.1 billion settlement with Meta that requires them to change their products and practices to mitigate harms to youth, Massachusetts is guaranteed $366 million over the next decade, with total funds potentially reaching closer to $516 million.
These settlement dollars are specifically intended to remediate harm through after-school, summer, and youth mental health programming. Funds are also intended for crisis intervention services, public health advertising, a digital wellness public education fund, outdoor activities, supporting the hiring of digital literacy counselors or implementing phone-free school zones, training for medical providers on interactive media use and body dysmorphia, grants to school districts or local government for remedial purposes, litigation related efforts to improve teen safety on social media, and similar remedial purposes.
On October 15, 2026, MASSCreative and 106 Creative Youth Development (CYD) organizations from across Massachusetts sent a letter to Gov. Healey, Lt. Gov. Driscoll, Attorney General Campbell, Senate President Spilka, and House Speaker Mariano urging the Commonwealth to direct funding from the settlement to CYD programs.
Creative Youth Development organizations are well-established and proven to provide essential after-school, summer, and youth mental services to youth. They are ready to partner with the Commonwealth to achieve the goals of this settlement.
We urge state leaders to:
Ensure that arts and creative youth programs are explicitly eligible for Meta settlement remediation funds.
Prioritize CYD organizations as strategic partners in statewide mental health and out-of-school time strategies.
By investing settlement dollars into the creative sector, Massachusetts can transform past digital harm into future opportunities for creative expression, resilience, and personal growth for thousands of young people.
WHAT IS CREATIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT?
Creative Youth Development, or CYD, is an intentional, holistic approach that combines hands-on arts, humanities, and sciences with life-skills development. By offering safe spaces for creative inquiry and expression, CYD programs equip young people to navigate adolescence and transition successfully into adulthood.
CYD is not just about art-making; it is about community, identity, emotional resilience, and workforce preparation.
PROVEN IMPACT OF CYD ORGANIZATIONS
Massachusetts is already home to a robust, nation-leading network of youth arts and culture organizations.
These programs consistently deliver measurable outcomes in mental health, academic achievement, and economic opportunity:
Addressing Youth Mental Health: 92% of organizations receiving funding through the Mass Cultural Council’s YouthReach program report that mental health is the top issue they address with participants. Sustained participation in CYD activities directly combats social isolation by building strong peer connections and a deep sense of belonging.
Higher Graduation & Higher Education Rates: High school seniors participating in YouthReach programs achieve a 95% high school graduation rate, with 82% advancing to college or trade school - outperforming state averages.
Equitable Reach: In FY24 alone, YouthReach programs served 18,904 young people across the Commonwealth, 85% of whom were Black, Indigenous, or people of color, 16% lived in non-English primary language households, 11% were youth with disabilities, and 4% were engaged with the Department of Mental Health.
Reduced Absenteeism & Enhanced Learning: A landmark study on the Boston Public Schools (BPS) Arts Expansion initiative found that expanded access to arts education was directly linked to reductions in chronic student absenteeism, increased student and parent community engagement, and significant gains in social-emotional learning and empathy.
Direct Economic Value: CYD programs also function as workforce development engines. Recent data shows that 2,038 young people earned income through CYD opportunities, generating $3.98 million for youth and their families.
We don't need to reinvent the wheel to address the youth mental health crisis. Massachusetts’ existing CYD networks already provide much of the necessary infrastructure that the Commonwealth is relying on to satisfy the settlement goals. Two such examples include the Mass Cultural Council's YouthReach program, the country's longest continually running publicly funded CYD program, and the Youth Arts Impact Network, a network co-led by EdVestors and the Mass Cultural Council that connects over 125 youth arts organizations statewide to establish shared indicators for success and tracking student outcomes.
