Meet Alana, Our Youth STEM Matters Programme Officer & Communications Lead!
Hello! My name is Alana, and I have recently joined the Youth STEM 2030 Core Team as the Youth STEM Matters Programme Officer & Communications Lead. The journey that led me into this role was one mostly of chance — as a Master’s student in ecology, I was looking for a new part-time job which would use my skillset whilst creating a tangible positive impact on the climate and ecological crises we are facing. I found the role advertised on LinkedIn two days before the deadline, and the rest is history! In the past, I have been Editor-in-Chief for my local nature magazine, and I’m currently a Director of a conservation non-profit in Cornwall, where we reintroduce wildlife and restore habitats, so I’m looking forward to using this experience to support the growth of Youth STEM Matters!
I felt that being a Programme Officer for Youth STEM Matters was the right role for me due to my passion for communicating science in well-designed formats (which this journal certainly is), in addition to the direct positive change Youth STEM 2030 was making to the world. Science has long been gatekept by western, male, older generations, and though this is changing already, the younger generations are still being mostly excluded from scientific research and communication, even though the future of both science and this planet directly impacts them. What Mhairi and the rest of the team have created here with Youth STEM 2030 and Youth STEM Matters is vitally important for young people to have a place to submit their research, discuss novel scientific ideas, and communicate the important issues we are all facing in the midst of the climate and ecological crises. Helping to progress this mission and create a space where young people from all over the globe can exchange ideas and scientific developments is thus very exciting work, especially with the implications this might have for accelerating solutions to the climate and ecological crises!
My role at Youth STEM 2030 is diverse - I am currently creating resources for future Youth STEM Matters volunteers who will be reviewing science communication articles, to ensure that each science communication article that is added to the journal is the best it can be. I also had the opportunity to meet the Youth STEM Matters Team at the latest Journal Development Day - it was a great experience to meet everyone involved behind-the-scenes in the organisation and running of the journal!
Within my role, I am most excited to helping assemble our next Youth STEM Matters print edition and see it in print! I will also be helping to create more review and skill guides, coordinate the distribution of the print edition, work with the International Advisory Group, provide support with funding applications and partnerships, and more. I hope I can help to achieve long-term sustainability for the journal, so that even after my role ends, the Youth STEM Matters Team will still be able to use the resources I created to continue publishing impactful research and communicate science in a way which helps to tackle the climate and ecological crises. Personally, I would like to continue to work in tackling the climate and ecological crises through nature-based and circular solutions, creating ways for communities to become directly involved in horizontal organisation and ecological restoration.
