A Fox Chapel teen has been recognized for helping children safely navigate the cyber and social media world.

Lakshanya Rajaganapathi, 17, a junior at Fox Chapel Area High School, has been named a Gold Award Girl Scout, the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn.

Her Gold Award project, titled “Changing the Course of Media: Inspiring Skills of Media Literacy,” focuses on educating students about the importance of staying safe online.

“I was shocked looking online and seeing a lot of news stories on suicide cases and cat-fishing,” Rajaganapathi said. “I created my project to help elementary kids learn how to be safe online and make independent decisions and be safe against online predators.”

She developed a curriculum that she has presented locally and internationally in her parent’s home country of India to more than 200 students.

“I have a little sister, and this meant a lot to me to develop a program to help younger children. It can help teens, too,” Rajaganapathi said.

Rajaganapathi is the daughter of Viji Rajasekaran and Raj Jagannathan.

Rajasekaran said her daughter’s project holds universal appeal because just about everyone has access to smartphones and the internet.

“When she started, we didn’t know about this many steps in Scouting. The Gold Award project — I really didn’t know that she would do all of that. I felt her challenge was getting all the people together and presenting in India. I’m very proud,” she said.

Rajaganapathi presented her program in November and December to local Brownie Troop members at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library and Kerr Elementary School in Fox Chapel.

“Some of the little kids would ask, ‘How can Snapchat and Instagram be mentally harming?’ ” Rajaganapathi said. “We would always talk through it and bounce off ideas.”

Rajaganapathi took a family trip to Salem, India, to visit relatives and presented her program at a local school there in August.

“I could see how much technology is the same across the world,” Rajaganapathi said. “They had similar reactions.”

Rajaganapathi launched a website in January to accompany her project.

“I wanted to create it so the project could remain sustainable,” she said.

The program is suited for students in grades k-8.

“I built the website so visitors can participate in my blog post, watch videos and get more information,” she said.

Rajaganapathi is working with Fox Chapel Area officials to develop a media literacy council.

For younger kids, the content is a concern and a topic Rajaganapathi focuses on during her free presentations.

“One of the Brownies had a Snapchat, and my main message to parents is: The generation they grew up in may not be the same as their kids,” Rajaganapathi said. “There are so many different things the young kids are exposed to. Technology is more involved in their lives. Most elementary kids have phones now.”

Her biggest challenge with the project was learning how to present to younger children.

“It was a lot of interaction and Q&A,” Rajaganapathi said of the one-hour sessions.

Rajaganapathi received her Gold Award on Feb. 15.

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She is a member of Troop 52259 of Fox Chapel and joined Scouting when she was in kindergarten.

“The fun memories are when I first moved here. I became friends with all of them. One of my first memories was selling cookies at Giant Eagle with all of my Brownie friends,” Rajaganapathi said. “We just bonded really well.”

In addition to her Scouting accomplishments, Rajaganapathi enjoys studying science, speech and debate, student government, as well as track, and field hockey.

To schedule a media literacy session, email LakshanyaR6@gmail.com.

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