NIAMH O'CONNOR SMITH

'Getting youth involved in politics is really important in moving forward in society and uplifting democracy.'

I was sitting around a campfire at the beach when I started organising a strike for the first time.  

Six months later I was stepping onto the stage to MC the largest climate strike in Australian history - Melbourne's September 20 School Strike for Climate.  

I'm Niamh, a 17 year old School Striker and organiser for School Strike for Climate.  The opportunity to lead and organise a movement (with hundreds of other youth from across the country) that is helping push climate action, has been empowering and motivating in this fight for our future.

I'm a bit of a nerd and love maths, science and politics.  Getting youth involved in politics is really important in moving forward in society and uplifting democracy.  To try and get youth engaged, I have run policy crash courses at school.  Striking is also a great way for youth to make their voices heard and learn about issues facing us today.

Other than being an activist, I enjoy being outdoors, hiking, skiing or just hanging out with friends and family.