These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

Mihir Rao is making sure youth have a voice in shaping their future. This 18-year-old from Alberta ensures that young people are well-equipped to influence decision-makers. Mihir is a 2025 I-SEA Youth Climate Action award winner. 

Tell us about your work. 

For the past three years, as a member of the leadership committee of the Canadian Rockies Youth Network, I have helped gather 35 to 40 youth each year for four days of experiential learning in Kananaskis, Alberta. Outdoors, we explore lakes and rivers, test water, hike with Indigenous teachers and develop basic outdoor survival skills. Indoors, participants hear guest speakers, including other youth in our network, identify policy changes they want addressed, and each person leaves with a project to make their own community better. The young people engage in mock stakeholder debates to explore various perspectives and develop strategies for change. We conclude with a reflection which the leadership team uses as the basis for a report and recommendations for law and policy-makers. 

Throughout the year, we hold events........

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