The Abstract: April 2022
Welcome back to The Abstract - your monthly round up of all the behind-the-scenes news from Youth STEM Matters, our youth-led scientific journal.
We've got a new Research Conference Organiser line-up for our June 2022 Research Conference, our Print Edition of Youth STEM Matters is finally here, and one of our Youth STEM Matters Authors & Volunteer Team alumni was cited in multiple papers!
June 2022 Research Conference Organisers
Introducing this year’s June Research Conference Organisers!! Youth STEM 2030 Communications & Admin Officer Lewis Cannon will be coordinating the team of Iona Finney, Tatenda Murigo, Thu Nguyen and Victor Olufemi to organise our third Research Conference, which will take place in June (date announcement coming soon!). This Research Conference will be open to all kinds of research and feature speakers who are aiming to achieve one or more of the SDGs. As always, there will be a packed schedule celebrating young people’s research, ideas and innovations, with lots to enjoy and learn from the event.
“Working as a Research Conference Organiser with such an amazing team is expanding my mind and my network daily, and it’s building my confidence in organising conferences.”
“It’s great to work with other team members and gain new knowledge and skills, as part of being a Research Conference Organiser.”
“Being a Research Conference Organiser has been a rewarding experience so far! The ability to work with people who are passionate about science engagement makes me confident in knowing that the future of STEM is in safe hands”
Journal Development Day - May 1st
Recently we held our second Journal Development Day, where the Volunteer Team discussed a variety of topics, including:
Journal Development Updates: Editor-in-Chief Yara Obeidi led us through a look at where we are in implementing what had been agreed on in the previous Journal Development Day, including improving the sustainability of the journal and a new framework for deciding which articles get published to ensure our platform is as inclusive of all youth as it can be.
Sustainable Development Goals and Systems Thinking: Systems thinking is about seeing the bigger picture considering synergies, trade-offs, and leverage points (small shifts in one that can create big changes across the system); complex issues can be tackled, but they need to be thought of as more than just a single and isolated issue, and instead as an interconnected system. Our Volunteer Team developed an understanding that when a solution is presented in an article, look to see if there are unintended consequences to it.
Introduction to Coda: Head of Digital and Data, Josh Heng, introduced volunteers to our new Coda workspace, which we’ll be using as a central location to store information. Volunteers will now be able to access skills development on-demand, and we hope that this enhanced efficiency at Youth STEM Matters will allow us to further improve the experience of our authors and volunteers.
Volunteer Shayla Basdew shared her thoughts on the day…
“This was my first experience with the Youth STEM Matters Volunteer Team and it was so fun meeting new people and engaging with them, we also explored the concept of Systems Thinking which helped me approach challenges more strategically.”
The next Journal Development Day will be in October, and we’re looking forward to also welcoming some guest speakers for our Volunteer Team to learn from!
Youth STEM Matters Print Edition Goes to Print
The long awaited first print edition of Youth STEM Matters has officially went to print!! It is a big milestone for the journal, and a massive achievement for the 37 young people whose research, ideas & innovations feature in it. A big thank you to the team who worked so hard behind the scenes to give them a platform and The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) for making the print edition possible through their financial backing. You’ll soon be able to order your copy, so watch this space!
Here’s what part of the Editorial Team for this issue had to say on the process and accomplishment of this milestone…
“It was brilliant to be part of the print edition as both an author and a member of the Volunteer Team who helped put it together. Being able to see the progression of the articles from initial ideas to the finished product has been really exciting. I can’t wait to get a copy and see my writing in print!”
“I’m unbelievably excited to see the first ever print edition of Youth STEM Matters being published! So much hard work from both our Volunteer Team and the authors has made this happen. Having the print edition has meant we have been able to physically give a platform for youth to share their ideas and research, and hopefully will reach and inspire other young people in many different corners of the world.”
Citations, citations, citations!
We’re excited to share that Youth STEM Matters author and Volunteer Team alumni Katie Molyneux's Review Article on bacterial concrete, which was published in Youth STEM Matters last year, has been cited in four other papers!! Katie’s project reviews the properties of bacterial concrete and its industrial use, revealing that despite higher initial costs, the enhanced properties of bacterial concrete compared to conventional concrete makes it a more sustainable material in the long run with an overall benefit to global carbon emissions. We’re so pleased to see Youth STEM Matters not just giving young people a voice within the scientific community, but publishing work that other researchers are using and building on to further advance progress towards the SDGs.
Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Iona Finney who is the Volunteer of the Month for April 2022!
Despite only having joined recently, Iona is excelling within the Youth STEM Matters team because of her leadership and enthusiasm. She has immersed herself in all aspects of the Youth STEM Matters Volunteer Team, including in her roles as a Physical Sciences Reviewer and Research Conference Organiser, where her active participation during team calls has not gone unnoticed.
Since joining the team, Iona has gone above and beyond on several occasions, through volunteering to write and review Science Communication articles, helping others, and speaking at a recent event.
Congratulations Iona - keep up all the good work!
“It’s an honour to be nominated Volunteer of the Month! It’s incredible working with such an amazing team of people and being a part of Youth STEM Matters’ mission!”
