Quinn MacAskill
2025 Youth Climate Activism Award - Essay Entry
Quinn is a 19 year old from Nova Scotia.
I grew up with a love of nature and animals, instilled in me by my family and by spending lots of time outdoors. From a young age, I learned about the threats wildlife and ecosystems were facing due to human activity, and I knew I had to do something.
When I was 13, I started organizing climate strikes in my hometown of Sackville, New Brunswick. Through this organizing work, I gained experience writing demands for all levels of government, engaging with media representatives, and speaking before hundreds of people. I realized there were a lot of people who didnβt understand what was happening with climate change, or they felt powerless to do anything about it.
Sackville climate strike march approaching Town Hall (2019). Photos courtesy of the New Wark Times
I realized the disservice that was being done to young people by our education systems that failed to teach us about the crisis that would define our generation. I decided to raise awareness about the climate emergency through education. I read and learned as much as I could about environmental and social justice issues, then shared what I learned with others. There have been so many moments when someone has said something a certain way or I read a sentence and everything falls into place. These moments are what I try to create for others when I talk about the urgency of climate change, the intersectionality of environmental and social justice issues, and the power we have to work toward solutions.
Presenting to middle school students (June 2024)
Quinn MacAskill Presenting at NB provincial teachers conference on environmental education (October 2019)
I have spoken in schools and classes, at day camps, youth groups, university programs, provincial youth climate forums, and regional events such as Tedx and WeDay. I presented at a municipal councillor climate training session, a provincial environmental education conference, and at environmental workshops. In grade 12, I ran a Climate Education Day for my entire school. I delivered a presentation to the student body, networked with local environmental NGOs to bring them in as guests, and coordinated with a local organization to bring in 500 tree saplings, which students planted in the forest around the school.
Sackville Climate Imagination session Aug 2024
Tantramar Regional High School Climate Education Day
Tantramar Regional High School Climate Education Day students tree planting
High School Environment Club
I chose to attend Dalhousie University to study Environment, Sustainability, Society and Political Science. It is fascinating to learn about the largest global issues we face and the governance methods we can use to tackle them. Since coming to university, I have joined the environmental society, divest group, and I got a job as the Policy and Programming Coordinator at the Dalhousie Student Union Sustainability Office. Through this role, I run sustainability initiatives and events, and I am writing a sustainability policy for the student union. Last summer, I facilitated Climate Imagination Sessions in Sackville, inviting community members to imagine a sustainable future for our community. The ideas I gathered helped to inform the municipalityβs strategic plan and future actions. Looking ahead, I know I will continue to seek out opportunities to be engaged and empower others to take action.
β I am inspired by everyone working toward a better future and I know change is possible.β
~Quinn MacAskill
QUINN in the NEWS
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As part of the submissions application we asked participants to answer these 3 questions in addition to their essay or video.
What future goals do you have around your environmental and climate work, and do you have any future projects in mind?
I believe knowledge is power. When individuals are knowledgeable about a topic, this allows them to make informed decisions, to teach others, and to make change on their own.
I have always been interested by the idea of developing a climate curriculum for schools. Climate change is something that can be taught to people of all ages, and it also intersects with a diversity of topics. Ideally, youth should be graduating high school with a basic understanding of climate science, sustainability principles, and knowledge of their power as citizens to influence decision-making.
A climate curriculum should be carefully developed in partnership with Indigenous knowledge keepers, as Indigenous ways of being in the world are based on ideas of harmony and equality with the natural world.
Imagine if every young person growing up today was informed about climate change and understood a better future is possible. If youth were empowered to use their talents to make a difference in the world, think of the strength and resilience that could be built within our communities.
If you could share one message of hope for your community, what would it be? Briefly explain why you would choose this message.
One message I like to share as often as I can is: βWe have the opportunity to change.β Oftentimes, fighting climate change is viewed as an insurmountable problem to overcome. I think this challenge can be viewed in a more positive light.
Because of the interconnected nature of the climate crisis, if we are truly going to fight it, we must achieve systemic change. This means we have the opportunity to solve multiple problems at once.
Through fighting climate change, we can also address issues like poverty and injustice, because these are problems that reinforce one another. If we develop justice-based solutions, we can create a better future on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Framing things in this way makes it easier to motivate people to action, because you can be focused on solutions rather than the magnitude of the problem.
Who or what inspires you to work on climate change?
My grandmother has been involved in environmental activism for over 50 years. Growing up, she would tell me stories about attending protests, working with politicians and communities on the front lines of environmental injustices, and speaking at the United Nations. I am inspired by her knowledge, experience, and dedication.
Through conversations with her, I have learned so much about how the world works β how climate change is interwoven with food insecurity, water privatization, corporate greed, political instability, and conflict. At the same time, she has also taught me the importance of engaging in political action, of educating yourself and speaking up, talking to government representatives, media, and neighbours.
She showed me how to take something you are passionate about and turn it into a life purpose β an intrinsic drive to create change. Today, at 82 years old, my grandmother still attends demonstrations, volunteers, and closely follows global events. I aspire to emulate her in all that I do for climate action.
Knowing there are countless others out there like my grandmother β each person working in their own communities to fight against injustice and for a sustainable world β makes me feel like Iβm not alone.