
Frontiers for Young Minds is a journal about neuroscience that is actually edited by kids between 8 and 18 years old. Â According to this article from CBC News, the idea for the journal was dreamed up by Bob Knight, who serves as the editor in chief, and is also a professor at UC Berkeley. Â It came “from the depths of my mind, in a moment when I was bored at a scientific meeting,” he told CBC News.
Students who are accepted as editors are paired with volunteer neuroscientist mentors to review submissions from professional scientists for the journal. Â With the help of the mentors, students will determine that the articles are written clearly and make sense to young people. Â You can find out more about the editing process, and how to apply to be a student editor, here.
This is a great opportunity for students, but it is also a great resource for teachers. Â Current online articles include: “The Amazing History of Neuroscience”, “Why Sleep?”, and “How do we See Color?” Â The site could be a great research tool for students of all ages. Â (Great for Genius Hour!) Â The graphics are “kidually” appealing, and the readability level , though still not primary level, is much more workable than many other neuroscience sites that are geared more toward adults.
I would love to see similar journals developed for other areas in addition to neuroscience. Â Hopefully, this will be the first of many!
