Kari Leventopoulos: Youth Digital Steward

When Kari was in middle school, she approached Shape the Sky to become a role model for other students and teach responsible technology use. Before joining the Shape the Sky community, Kari had already created “Get S.M.A.R.T.”, which stands for “Social Media Awareness and Responsibility Training”, to educate other students about safe social media use.

After learning about Shape the Sky’s mission, Kari was eager to join our community. She believed that one of the first steps to achieve our mission was for youth to pledge to use technology responsibly.

Flash forward to June 2024: Kari has now graduated from high school and is embarking on the next chapter of her life. I asked Kari if she would be interested in doing a podcast with me to discuss her story behind the pledge and what it’s like growing up as a digital youth. As expected, Kari was a wonderful guest on the podcast, articulating her thoughts and advice for those with digital kids.

In recognition of Kari’s efforts and partnership over the past six years, Shape the Sky awarded her a Youth Voice Scholarship. It has been great working with Kari, and her Pledge will continue to be a vital part of the Shape the Sky platform and a resource for parents and professionals. I encourage you to use The Pledge with your younger children and students.

Make sure to listen to the podcast we did together. I’m very proud of this kiddo!!   ~ Ryan