TIME and TIME for Kids on Tuesday named 17-year-old Tejasvi Manoj of Frisco, Texas, the 2025 Kid of the Year for her work teaching digital literacy and building tools to shield older Americans from online scams.
Manoj began volunteering in sixth grade and accelerated her efforts after cybercriminals targeted her grandfather in February 2024, prompting the then-16-year-old to research scams that prey on older people. Within a year she built and launched Shield Seniors, a website and mobile app designed to educate the 60-plus demographic about common online scams, accept suspicious emails and messages for analysis, and provide links to report confirmed fraud.
“I started volunteering in sixth grade… I think it’s really important; if you’re lucky yourself, you want to make sure other people feel loved and lucky too,” Manoj told TIME. “It just makes me feel really happy, knowing that I can make a difference.” TIME reporter Jeffrey Kluger wrote that the unnamed cybercriminals got more than they bargained for when they targeted Manoj’s grandfather, and detailed how her research and volunteer work led to the creation of Shield Seniors.
TIME editors and writers selected the 2025 Kid of the Year from candidates across the United States, ages 8 to 17. For the first time, the process included evaluations of submissions to the TIME for Kids Service Stars program, which was developed in partnership with The Allstate Foundation to recognize and support young people making a positive impact in their communities. The 2025 Kid of the Year designation is made possible by exclusive partner The Allstate Foundation, a nonprofit that supports youth ages 5 to 25 in community service and civic engagement.
Andrea Delbanco, editor in chief of TIME for Kids, said the Kid of the Year program elevates young leaders and gives them a platform to inspire peers. The feature on Manoj includes a cover photograph for TIME and a profile on time.com.
The TIME Kid of the Year story is available on time.com. It will appear in the Sept. 29 issue of TIME, which the publisher said will be on newsstands Sept. 19, and it will be included in a TIME for Kids Service Stars special issue distributed in classrooms and online at timeforkids.com beginning Sept. 25.
Manoj’s Shield Seniors offers users guidance on recognizing phishing and other fraud tactics, a tool to upload suspicious messages for review, and links to report incidents to appropriate authorities. TIME’s profile places her work in the broader context of efforts to improve digital literacy among older adults, a demographic frequently targeted by online fraud.
The Kid of the Year recognition highlights Manoj’s transition from volunteer to developer and organizer, and underscores TIME’s effort to spotlight young people leading community service projects. TIME for Kids said the Service Stars initiative seeks to broaden recognition of youth service by partnering with schools and community groups to surface student-led projects for consideration.
Manoj, who plans to continue expanding Shield Seniors, told TIME she was motivated by the desire to protect others after her family’s experience. The project aims to combine education with practical tools so older adults and their caregivers can better identify, analyze and report online scams.