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

Fatih Amin is building networks of students and inspiring them to protect our climate. The 19-year-old from Montreal jumps on opportunities for bringing people together to better understand their relationship to the climate crisis and help find solutions. He is the recipient of a 2025 I-SEA National Youth Climate Activism Award.

Tell us about your work.

When I was 15, I participated in the year-long C-Vert program offered by the Quebec YMCA. We had outings and workshops and were expected to create a project with lasting impact. My group built a mushroom farm which is still productive! I continue to volunteer to support newcomers into the program. 

In high school, I was part of a program encouraging environmental citizenship. We held a competition among our peers to design posters and hung them around our high school, raising the awareness of our 1,500 fellow students about the importance of recycling. 

I served for two years on the board of 

© National Observer