Young STEM Journalism Articles

This article was written by an outstanding participant in Double Helix’s Young STEM Journalism Bootcamp!

This year, Letterly partnered with Double Helix to launch the inaugural 4-week program, inviting students aged 8 to 18 to write science news articles on the topics that matter to them! This article went through multiple rounds of editing with 1-to-1 feedback from Letterly’s highly qualified and passionate writing coaches. 

Students were asked to research topics about the most innovative and world-changing current events in the STEM world, ranging from AI in education, to genetic engineering, to gophers saving volcanic plains!

Articles written by Students

Imagine a world without animals—no butterflies fluttering through the air, no cicadas singing in the summer, no birds soaring overhead. While this is far from our reality today, we are at risk of losing some of our beloved species, such as freshwater sea turtles. A recent joint study by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) has revealed alarming signs of population decline and the toxic impact of PFAS chemicals on Queensland’s freshwater turtles, potentially pushing their populations toward collapse.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) of Australia has been busy developing a new technology that allows ‘solar ink’ to be printed on plastic sheets to create thin, light, semi-transparent and flexible solar panels. Think solar panels integrated on tents for emergency or recreational purposes, panels laminated on home or office windows, panels lining the outside of greenhouses or tunnels, panels printed on clothing or even packaging – the possibilities are endless!