How can we make cutting-edge science and STEM discoveries available to younger audiences? It’s important for the scientist of the 21st century to step outside the ivory tower of the laboratory and take a strong part in educating the public about the methods and the outcomes of the scientific process. Frontiers for Young Minds is an initiative that puts this idea into practice.

The open access online scientific journal has an editorial board of kids that includes young people (from eight to 15) in reviewing articles. That could include anything from the personality of volcanoes to squid that are afraid of the dark to why the ice melts in Antartica.

This has the benefit of enabling young people and scientists to work together, bringing kids into the world of scientific research – many of them for the first time – and offering active scientists a platform for reaching out to the broadest of all public.

All articles in ‘Frontiers for Young Minds’ are reviewed and approved for publication by young people themselves. But creating scientific articles that are both accurate and exciting is not so easy. Established leading neuroscientists mentor these young Review Editors and help them review the manuscript and focus their queries to authors. To avoid overburdening the young reviewers, revised manuscripts are in turn reviewed by one of the stellar scientific Associate Editors of Frontiers for Young Minds.

The open access format guarantees that people from all socioeconomic backgrounds and from all parts of the world have free access to the journal.

AtlasAction: Is there someone among your family or friends who is a scientist and who can act as mentor for the project? Are you interested in becoming a Frontiers for Young Minds Reviewer? Contact the editorial office.

Journalist and blogger, Oscar has worked as an editor for several travel, nature and science magazines for the last 20 years.