Rochelle D. Prasad is one of only a small number of Canadians selected for the U.S. Forbes 30 Under 30 Education list for 2026. The honour highlights her work as an educator, author, and global advocate for youth and education.
A release from her Surrey‑based non‑profit notes that Forbes receives more than 10,000 nominations each year, yet selects fewer than one per cent of candidates. The list is often described as even more competitive than admission to Harvard University.
SPARK Foundation’s global reach
Prasad founded SPARK Foundation at just 14 years old and has grown it into a youth‑led organization with global reach. The foundation has served more than 500,000 learners in five countries through leadership training, life‑skills education, and scholarship pathways.
Today, SPARK operates with a team of 10 staff and 130 volunteers and has raised about $2 million to support access to education. Its programs focus on empowering young people to lead in their communities and build practical skills for school, work, and civic life.
Teaching, policy and global advocacy
Beyond SPARK, Prasad teaches and develops curriculum in political science, social justice, and civic engagement at institutions such as UC Berkeley and University Canada West. She has also helped build schools in Kenya and Ecuador and trained more than 300 educators across Canada.
She now contributes to global education policy through advisory roles with governments and multilateral organizations. Her work includes supporting the Government of Fiji on a proposed UN day of remembrance for indentureship (Girmit) and advising the Government of Canada on a national UN Youth Delegate Program to boost youth representation in global governance.
Honours and lived experience
Prasad’s advocacy has drawn recognition from the United Nations, the World Bank, the Royal Family, BBC News and other international institutions. As the daughter of Fijian immigrant parents and the first in her family to graduate university, she often credits students, communities and mentors for shaping her path.
She is now a three‑time international and three‑time national honouree. Her distinctions include the Forbes 30 Under 30 Education list (2026), the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case and Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women – RBC (both 2025), the UN Young Leader of the Year award from WFUNA (2024), the Diana Award (2021), and the Governor General’s Sovereignty Medal (2018).
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