About Us
About Us
Connecting Communities Through Research
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The Youth Scientific Literacy (YSL) Initiative is dedicated to enhancing scientific literacy among young people. Through engaging publications, workshops, and mentorship with local scientists, we aim to foster interest in STEM fields. By creating a supportive community, we ensure that science becomes accessible, relatable, and exciting for all youth, transforming how they view and interact with scientific research.
Pictured above: Our original Carlmont editorial staff! (December, 2025)
Our Story
Our Story
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The Youth Scientific Literacy Club started with a simple realization: students learn science every day, but rarely learn how to actually read scientific research.
Tessa Cuchelkar founded the club to change that. She wanted to create a space where students could break down real research papers, question data, analyze credibility, and practice turning complex findings into clear, accessible writing for the public.
What began as a small lunch meeting quickly became a community initiative focused on three things: understanding scientific literature, communicating ideas effectively, and creating original work. Members analyze research across fields—from healthcare innovation to environmental science—publish articles in a digital journal, and prepare for competitions like Duke Vertices and ExploraVision.
Scientific research is often written in highly technical language, and by publishing findings without jargon, we aim to make that knowledge more accessible to a wider audience. This initiative is not just about loving science—it’s about learning how to think critically about it and make research more accessible.
And we're just getting started.
Founder + Lead
Founder + Lead
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Tessa Cuchelkar is a junior at Carlmont High School and the founder of the Youth Scientific Literacy Club. She started the club in 2025 to give students a space to explore STEM in a hands-on way: learning how to read real research, question data, and share scientific ideas clearly. While she’s passionate about biology, chemistry, and emerging technologies, Tessa also loves writing, hiking, and experimenting in the kitchen. She’s driven by curiosity, enjoys bringing people together to learn, and hopes to inspire her peers to see science as both exciting and accessible.
Meet our writers!
Meet our writers!
Learn more about the students behind the publications and how they bring scientific discoveries to life for our readers!
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