Episode Details

Full transcription available at http://heartsofgoldpodcast.com/

In this episode of Hearts of Gold, Lakshanya talks about her Girl Scout Gold Award project, which focuses on inspiring young children to navigate through media effectively. Lakshanya created a curriculum where she presented information to schools in India, her local community, and her high school. She provided tips and tricks on how to safely navigate through the internet and social media by having a Q&A session with the students. Lakshanya's project aims to protect the next generation from negative effects and provide children with the necessary skills to safely navigate through media.

More from Lakshanya:

I have been a Girl Scout since I was in Kindergarten and if it's one thing I learned it's that Samoas and Thin Mints are the superior cookies... I'm kidding. Girl Scouts has taught me that you need resilience and creativity, not just one or the other(especially when it comes to selling cookies), but it has also shown the power of being a woman. I have completed the Silver Award and met some of my best friends while doing the project! I also participate in science fairs, am the vice president of the Speech and Debate club at my school, the founder of the Women in Science Club at my high school, lead for Student Government, and have participated in track and field for 5 years. In the future, I hope to become an MD PhD and use the leadership skills that I have learned to help others succeed in the process!

Website link: https://rajaganapathilaksh.wixsite.com/my-site-1/blog

Key points from the episode:

In today's world, media is everywhere. From television to social media, it is difficult to escape the constant barrage of information. For young children, this can be overwhelming and confusing. That is why media literacy is so important. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in a variety of forms. It is a crucial skill that can help children navigate the complex world of media.

Lakshanya, a Girl Scout, recognized the importance of media literacy and decided to make it the focus of her Gold Award project. Her project aimed to inspire young children, specifically elementary schoolers and high schoolers, on effective ways to navigate through media. Lakshanya created a curriculum that she presented to schools in India, her local community, and at her high school. Instead of a traditional presentation, she opted for a Q&A format that made the students feel like they were getting advice from a peer.

For elementary schoolers, Lakshanya used an analogy to help them understand the importance of media literacy. She asked them if they ever saw a bright packaging at the store and wanted to buy it just because of the packaging. She then compared this to the colorful pictures and videos on YouTube that may not be safe. For high schoolers, Lakshanya talked about the negative effects of social media, like catfishing attempts and cyberbullying.

Lakshanya's project had a significant impact on the students she presented to. She realized that many students did not know about the negative sides of social media and were not aware of the importance of media literacy. In addition to her presentations, Lakshanya also created a website that allows students to reflect on situations that have happened, give advice, and provide videos on further media literacy.

Lakshanya's project is an excellent example of the importance of media literacy for young childr