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Last updated 1 Jan 2026.

Why do we exist?

Science Journal for Kids is a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve scientific literacy and students’ access to the latest scientific discoveries. We produce K-12 science teaching resources adapted from published peer-reviewed academic research. All our content is free for everyone.

The adaptation process

  1. Our team writes the first draft of the kids’ version of the research paper and sends it to the researcher for review. Our editor works with the original researchers until they are satisfied that the adaptation is correct while remaining sufficiently kid-friendly.
  2. Our graphic designer creates cartoons, adapted scientific diagrams, and other suitable illustrations, and completes the layout. The researchers review and approve the page proofs.
  3. Based on the research, we prepare a packet with educators’ resources consisting of a student assessment questionnaire with a teacher’s key, related teaching resources, video and audio content, interactive lesson, curriculum alignment, etc.
  4. We publish all this content on our website which has hundreds of thousands of visitors per year – most of them science teachers. (For most up-to-date data on reach, see our latest annual report.)

As a researcher, why should you have your paper adapted?

  • Your research will have a broader impact beyond the scientific community, as required by many research grants. We track download statistics to quantify the paper’s reach.
  • You retain authorship and full control over the adapted paper avoiding any possible miscommunication or misinterpretation of your research.
  • The adaptation process is straightforward and requires a minimal time commitment from you. We have a quick turnaround time – on average 3 months from start to completion.

The cost

For 2026, the publication costs are structured as follows: 

  • Basic STEM Discovery Set: the adapted article, including student assessment question set, teacher’s key, list of lesson plan ideas, curriculum alignment, and audio version of the article (on YouTube and our SJK Audio Edition podcast). Cost: $3,500
  • Video STEM Discovery Set: includes everything from the Basic STEM Discovery Set + a custom-made educational video in the format SJK Academy or SJK Lesson idea. Total cost: $4,000
  • Interactive STEM Discovery Set: includes everything in the Video STEM Discovery Set + a comprehensive SJK interactive lesson. This is a self-paced 30-min lesson that can be completed on any device and includes figures to click, sliders for zoom, crosswords to solve, brief videos with pop-up questions, short checkpoint quizzes, and funny cartoons as rewards. Total cost: $7,000

These costs are often covered by the research institution where the original research took place. Funds can come from budget earmarked for public outreach, education and broader impact required by many research grants. 

Over the years, our organization has also received support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Goggio Foundation, Moderna, GM and others. 

The funding source is determined and agreed upon before we begin work on the adaptation. 

Layout guide

Check out our layout guide to get an idea of what a Basic STEM Discovery set might look like. 

Learn more about us

Impact Assessment Study

Executive Summary (2017)

Contact us

Reach out to editor @ sciencejournalforkids.org

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