DOWNINGTOWN, PA — Downingtown Area School District has earned national recognition for its participation in a summer program encouraging students to reduce screen time and pursue offline activities, joining three other school districts selected for awards from a competition involving more than 140 students across 10 states.
The Chester County district was named one of four Standout Districts in Cartwheel’s My Amazing Summer Challenge, receiving a $250 Bookshop.org gift card for its school library.
The program, organized by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based youth mental health provider Cartwheel, encouraged students to read The Amazing Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price, explore activities away from digital devices and document their experiences.
More than 140 students from 30 school districts participated, submitting essays, photo journals, artwork, poetry and other reflections on their relationships with technology.
Cartwheel distributed more than 600 copies of the book to participating schools.
Downingtown shared the Standout District designation with Shenango Area School District in Pennsylvania, Huntington County Community School Corporation in Indiana and Warwick Public Schools in Rhode Island.
Each district received a $250 gift card for its school library.
Jersey City Public Schools in New Jersey received the competition’s grand prize, a $1,000 Bookshop.org gift card, following participation by more than 50 fourth- and fifth-grade students.
The winning effort centered on Cornelia F. Bradford Elementary School, P.S. 16, where administrators selected The Amazing Generation as summer reading for rising fifth graders.
The school secured funding through its parent organization to provide students with individual copies of the book and organized a kickoff event to encourage participation.
Cartwheel also recognized eight individual students for their submissions and seven additional school districts with honorable mentions.
Those districts were Bristol-Warren Regional School District in Rhode Island, Cambridge Public Schools in Massachusetts, Lebanon School District in New Hampshire, Legacy Christian School in Indiana, Medway Public Schools in Massachusetts, Memphis-Shelby County Schools in Tennessee and Milford Public School District in Massachusetts.
Student submissions described experiences ranging from cooking with family members and spending time outdoors to developing hobbies and maintaining friendships without constant access to phones.
Some participants also acknowledged difficulties limiting social media use, while others explored how time away from devices affected their creativity and daily routines.
One submission involved a student-led protest against addictive applications.
“One of the things I loved most about this challenge was how much students had to say about their own experiences with technology,” explained Juliana Chen, Cartwheel’s chief medical officer.
The competition forms part of Cartwheel’s broader effort to address digital well-being among children and adolescents through school partnerships and mental health services.
The company works with nearly 400 school districts across 16 states, providing access to therapy, parent guidance and psychiatric services.
Its school partnerships have identified concerns involving the effects of screen use and social media on students’ sleep, friendships, emotional health and school experiences.
In September 2026, Cartwheel introduced its Screens & Social Media Care Program, offering targeted assessments, clinical treatment and caregiver support for students experiencing difficulties related to technology use.
The initiative joins the company’s existing School Avoidance and Big Behaviors, Big Feelings care programs.
Cartwheel’s services include evidence-based mental health treatment and accept major insurance plans, including Medicaid.
The company’s focus on digital habits comes amid increased national attention to children’s online safety and the potential effects of social media use.
Cartwheel cited a multistate settlement involving Meta valued at up to $17.1 billion as part of the broader policy discussion over youth online safety and possible funding for related initiatives.
In 2025, the company also hosted a webinar on phone-free schools featuring Haidt, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner.
The recognition of Downingtown Area School District reflects participation in an educational initiative that encouraged students to examine their technology habits through reading, personal experiences and creative work.
The challenge also connects school-based digital wellness education with Cartwheel’s expanding clinical services for students and families experiencing technology-related difficulties.
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