The 2023-2024 World of 8 Billion student video contest is now closed. Winners will be announced on May 21, 2024!

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2020-2021 Winners

2020-2021 Winners

The World of 8 Billion contest is a project of the Population Education program, provider of K-12 classroom resources and professional development opportunities. The contest is run every school year. Click on a topic below to view the winning videos.

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Thank you to all the teachers and students who participated in the 2020-2021 World of 7 Billion student video contest. We were blown away by the creativity, passion, and expertise showcased throughout the videos, especially by the 18 winning films.

The contest first ran during the 2010-2011 school year as a “teachable moment” around world population reaching 7 billion. 619 videos were received from 36 U.S. states and four countries abroad in that first year and it was meant to be a one-time event. But we received such positive feedback from teachers – many wanted to participate again and make the contest a permanent project in their courses – that we decided to make the contest an annual event.

Now in its 10th year, over 21,000 student-made videos on the impacts of population have been created as a direct result of the contest. Thousands of students are now more aware of the vast connections between population and so many of today’s pressing global challenges. We look forward to continuing the contest into the future and watching as more students explore the complexities of population growth through film.

View 2020-2021 Statistics

Contest Judges

Ali Mohamed Abbas

Secretary General, Sudanese Population Network

Andrea Thomas, Ed.D.

Principal Consultant, AET Global

Anika Manzoor

Youth Activism Project, Bethesda, MD

Anne Carlson, Ph.D.

Senior Climate Adaptation Specialist, The Wilderness Society

Anne Mannarino, Ed.D.

University Instructor, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA

Anne Soos

AP Consultant, Environmental Science, Retired, Princeton, NJ

Beth Coleman Nickles

8th grade science teacher, Duxbury Middle School, Duxbury, MA

Bob Besso

Retired Recycling-Waste Diversion Manager, Recology, San Francisco, CA

Brenda Metcalf

Executive Director, Environmental Education Council of Ohio

Bryce Hach

Biology and AP Environmental Science Teacher, North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, ME

Cathy Knoop

Development Director/Adult Education, Camp Oty'Okwa, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio

Deborah S. Greenhut, Ph.D.

CEO, Creative Room for Learning, East Brunswick, NJ

Deborah W. Elliott

Co-founder, Teachwithmovies.org

Dorothea Panayotou, Ph.D.

Educator & Environmental Scientist, Self-Employed, New Fairfield, CT

Amanda Clark, Ph.D.

Associate Professor in Natural Sciences, Chipola College, Panama City, FL

Amita N. Vyas, Ph.D., MHS

Associate Professor, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, DC

Bob Pettapiece, Ed.D.

Retired, Social Studies Educator, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

Brian R. Shmaefsky, Ed.D.

Professor of Environmental Science, Lone Star College – Kingwood, TX

DawnElla M. Rust, Ed.D

Health Science Professor, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX

Karen N. Evans, Ed.S., D.Min.

Instructor, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL

Marian DeWane, Ed.D.

AP Environmental Science Consultant and Instructor, University of California, Irvine

Sam Hopp, Ph.D.

Education Consultant, Bethlehem, PA

Scottie Smith, Ph.D

Upper School Science Teacher, Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, FL

Ed Wilcox

Watershed Research and Extension Associate, Kentucky State University, Florence, KY

Eli Kintisch

Producer, PBS NewsHour

Elizabeth O. Crawford, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Elementary Education, University of North Carolina at Wilmington

E'Lon Cohen Hall

Senior Manager, Operations and Programs, Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), Brooklyn, NY

Felix Akrofi-Atitianti

Officer, Climate and Energy Action, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, Bonn, Germany

Gabrielle Mosquera

Deputy Director, Teens for Food Justice, New York, NY

Gail Luera, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Education, University of Michigan-Dearborn

Eugene Kutscher

Retired District Science Chair, Roslyn (NY) Public Schools

James J Lehner

Science Teacher, The Taft School, Watertown, CT

Janet Beach Davis

Faculty for Earth and Environmental Sciences, Heartland Community College, Normal, IL

Jennifer Adams

Science Teacher, Englewood STEM High School (Chicago Public Schools)

John Volpa

Director of Education, Pinelands Adventures

Karen Beitler

Adjunct Professor, Environmental Science - University of Connecticut

Karen Roos

Environmental Educator, Greenbelt Conservancy, Staten Island, NY

Kelley Dennings

Population Campaigner, Center for Biological Diversity

Ken Folger

Middle School Science Teacher, Harding Academy, Nashville, TN

Kerri Allen

Coastal Advocate, North Carolina Coastal Federation, Wilmington, NC

Mahmoud Abouelnaga

Solutions Fellow, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)

Marine Delgrange

Global Health Education in Schools Coordinator, Students for Global Health UK, President, UK Model World Health Organization (United Kingdom)

Marshall & Carol Goldberg

Political activist and naturalist, Retired physician and teacher

Jeffery Martell

Public Outreach, REI Boulder

Nina Henderson

Science Teacher/Department Chair, Suncoast Polytechnical HS, Sarasota, FL

Norman Dudziak

Retired Environmental Engineer, Citizen Scientist, Barrington, RI

Pam Shlachtman

Department Chair, Science, Miami Palmetto Senior High School

Patricia Heaney

Assistant Director of Education, The Watershed Institute, Pennington, NJ

Patricia G Patrick, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Educational Research, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA

Patricia Newman

Author, Award-winning Environmental Books for Children

Patricio Chambers Mejía

Executive Director, Guayllabamba Waterkeeper, Pinchincha, Ecuador

Paul Hackl

Assistant Curriculum Leader-Geography and Cross-Curricular Experiences, Toronto District School Board

Rachel Velez

Water Justice Program & Communications Manager, Clean Water for North Carolina, Durham, NC

Sarah Baillie

Population & Sustainability Organizer, Center for Biological Diversity

Susan T. Schleith

Program Lead, K-12 Education, FSEC Energy Research Center, University of Central Florida, Cocoa, FL

Ted Toal, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher in Cancer Genomics, University of California, Davis

Ursula King

Owner/Principal Consultant, Regenerative Community, Nashville, TN

Victoria Ortiz

Community Engagement Manager, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, South Lake Tahoe, CA

Zaynab Baalbaki

Consultant, Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools, Milwaukee, WI

John Seager

President and CEO, Population Connection
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