When Parker saw the environmental damage along the North Thompson River, she stepped up. What began as a high school capstone project evolved into a youth-led riverbank restoration effort focused on native plants and sustainable solutions. In this interview, Parker discusses her journey as a 2023 YCAA winner and how youth-led climate action can spark real change — even in the face of uncertainty.

When Sophia saw how transportation barriers were limiting youth access to school, work, and community, she decided to act. What started as a local campaign for free youth bus passes in Regina grew into a multi-year movement that engaged thousands — and sparked policy change.

Ulwiana Mehta-Malhotra keeps clothing out of landfills and helps students stay hopeful. This 18-year-old from North Vancouver inspires highschool students to trade fast fashion for thrift shops and clothes swaps.

Liam Sisson wants to teach you about bees. This 19-year-old University of British Columbia science student from Kelowna, B.C., spends his summers keeping bees and hosting guided beekeeping tours for visitors.

Graeme Hopkins is passionate about immersing young people in nature. This 20-year-old from Saskatchewan takes groups of youth, aged 13 to 18, into wild spaces in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Alexandra Chow encourages students to collaborate, so they increase their impact on the climate crisis. This 18-year-old from Vancouver was a 2024 winner of The I-SEA Youth Climate Activism Award for bringing together high school students from seven Vancouver schools.

Karishma Porwal uses her influence with millions of TikTok and Instagram users to link their day-to-day concerns to the climate crisis.

Sonia Vinogradova is helping small farmers gain more energy independence. This 25-year-old woman from Montreal and her business partner, Joe Workentin, broke new ground, persuading regulators to allow solar panels on the BeetBox Co-op Farm’s barn.

Abbey Piazza understands the future. This 29-year-old knows that the climate crisis needs everyone, and everyone who works on climate change will carry eco-anxiety and grief for the rest of their lives. Her passion is to help them become more resilient.

Ankur Patel, a 21-year-old nursing student from Terrace, British Columbia, is helping nurses see care for the planet as care for people.

In 2017, Summer Sharma started a coffee shop at Okanagan Mission Secondary School with Lauren Moody, Skye Noh and Angelica Phelan. They wanted to raise awareness among their fellow students about the difference collective action can make in achieving social and climate justice.

Ella Bradford uses student climate strikes to raise awareness in Yukon. This 18-year-old student is a recipient of the I-SEA 2024 Youth Climate Activism Award for her high school leadership of the “Fridays for Future Yukon” student movement.

Enya Fang rallies support for people impacted by climate-related catastrophes. This 16-year-old, Grade 12 student at Southridge School in Surrey, B.C., won a 2024 Youth Climate Activism Award from I-SEA Canada for raising awareness and over $10,000 since setting up the not-for-profit Evergreen Collective in 2021.

Luiza Salek is using art to help high school teachers provide a platform for students to express their feelings about the climate crisis, as part of the first UBC Climate Studies and Action cohort.

Annabelle Liao, a 22-year-old University of British Columbia undergraduate student, strives to increase youth engagement and representation in climate action spaces and at decision-making tables.

Paige Hunter is using art to make climate change more accessible. She was named a Starfish Canada Top 25 under 25 Environmental Activist in part for co-founding the Sword Fern Collective.

Lesley Johnson creates maps to help us explore Canada’s nature trails, as manager of geographic information system (GIS) mapping for Trans Canada Trail.

Chloe Fraser, a 23-year-old Vancouver writer, was named a top environmentalist under 25 for her accredited university course that teaches participants about the power of stories to motivate engagement in climate issues.

McKenna Corvello helps youth become resilient in the face of climate change. The 23-year-old Carleton University master’s student works for Mochi4thePlanet, researching strategies for cultivating hope in young people.

Shir Gruber helped lead the 2019 climate student strikes. Now she has parlayed that experience into a leadership role with Sustainable Youth Canada.