How to start an SFC WhatsApp group for your school

What is an SFC school group?

Think of your Smartphone Free Childhood school group on WhatsApp as a cosy corner of the internet where like-minded people from your school community can come together to cheer each other on, swap ideas, and share what’s working (or not) as we all try to navigate this new world of kids and tech.

Your group sits inside your regional SFC WhatsApp community, which means you’ll get the occasional update from SFC HQ, and can see what other school groups are already up and running nearby (to avoid doubling up). If you like, you can also join your regional community chat.

[.style-link] Find your local SFC regional community [.style-link]

What’s it for?

Your school group is a place to:

• Connect with others in your school who are also delaying smartphones
  
  
• Feel a bit less like ‘the only one’
  
  
• Share updates about SFC meetings or events
  
  
• Keep the momentum going and stay inspired
  
  

Before you dive in...

Before setting up your group, take a moment to read our Code of Conduct. You’ll also find some suggested WhatsApp group rules in there you might want to use – feel free to borrow or tweak them for your own group.

Setting one up is easy

You can set up a group from scratch, or link an existing group into your regional SFC community. Here’s how…

To create a new school WhatsApp group:

1. Open WhatsApp
   
   
2. Tap the Communities tab
   
   
3. Tap your regional SFC community, then tap Add group
   
   
4. Tap Create new group
   
   
5. Choose a friendly group name and short description (e.g. “Greenwood Primary - SFC” + a short blurb)
   
   
6. Tap Add to create the group
   
   
7. We recommend tweaking the settings so new members need to be approved by an admin – it just helps keep things safe and private.
   
   

Tip: A short, welcoming message when people join helps set the tone. Something like:
“Hi! Lovely to have you here. This group is for anyone at Greenwood Primary who’s interested in delaying smartphones – no pressure, just support and solidarity.”

To link an existing school WhatsApp group to your regional SFC community:

1. Go to the Communities tab
   
   
2. Tap on your regional SFC community
   
   
3. Tap Add group > then tap Add existing groups
   
   
4. Choose the group you want to add
   
   
5. Tap Add
   
   
6. As before, switch on ‘Approve new members’ in settings if you’d like it to stay private and secure

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Need some help? Drop us a line on community@smartphonefreechildhood.org, we’d love to hear from you.