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2024-2025 Winners

2024-2025 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 2024-2025 World of 8 Billion student video contest. We were impressed by the creativity, content knowledge, and production quality of the submissions this year. Many videos showcased innovative approaches to explaining this year’s global topics and highlighted unique, sustainable solutions.

The contest first ran during the 2010-2011 school year as a “teachable moment” around the 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 14th year, over 32,000 student 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 growth 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.

2024-2025 contest infographic

Contest Judges

Aster Hordofa

Researcher, Arba Minch University, Water Technology Institute, Ethiopia

Harriet Alexander

Senior Features Reporter, US, The Times (of London), New York City, New York

Gervin Apatinga

Postdoctoral Fellow, Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Canada

Belaynesh Aragaw

Managing Director, Save the Future Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ginelle Aziz

Civil Engineering Graduate Researcher, York University, Toronto, Ontario

Ginny Beauregard

Environmental Educator, Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Mike Bechtel

Associate Professor of Science Education, Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa

Robert Blum

Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Minturn, Colorado

Meghna Chakkraborty

Founder, South Asia Young Women in Water (SAYWiW), India

Amina Chouairi

PhD Candidate in Urbanism, University Iuav di Venezia, Venezia, Italy

Pefole Fotsing Claude Winnie

Magistrate, Ministry of Justice, Washington, DC

Kirsten de Vette

Consultant, Kirsten de Vette Consultancy, Netherlands

Isabela Espindola

Senior Officer, International Water Association, London, UK

Dani Gaillard-Picher

Senior Advisor, Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, Hyeres, France

Bertha Cecilia Garcia Cienfuegos

Titular Researcher, National University of Tumbes, Peru

Cynthia Gardner

Director, Teacher Education; Professor of Education, Maryville College, Maryville, Tennessee

Linda L Hammon

AP Human Geography, World Geography Teacher (retired), College Board APSI Consultant for APHG, New Braunfels, Texas

Zita Holbourne

Campaigner, Educator, Visual Artist, Writer, National Chair and Co-founder of BARAC UK, BARAC UK, London UK

Erin Huber

Executive Director & Founder, Drink Local Drink Tap, Cleveland, Ohio

Edith Kamundi

Water Resilience Manager, Live and Learn Environmental Education International, Brisbane, Australia

Elizabeth Katoa

Science Teacher, North Ridgeville City Schools, Ohio

Khodi Kaviani

Education Professor, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington

Catherine Knoop

Retired Science Educator/Pop Ed Trainer, Camp Oty'Okwa, Hocking Hills, Ohio

Elizabeth Koch

Team Lead, Women in Water Diplomacy Network, Brooklyn, New York

Gene Kutscher

Retired District Science Chair, Roslyn Public Schools, Roslyn, New York

Gail Luera

Science Education Professor, Emeritus University of Michigan-Dearborn, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Michigan

Deborah Mabey

Science Educator, Hoosick Falls High School, Hoosick Falls, New York

Marty Martell

Outdoor Retailer, REI, Boulder, Colorado

Cheryl C. Miller-Arndt

School Psychologist, Retired, Spokane, Washington

Debbie Nelson

Physical Science Teacher, Clark County School District, Las Vegas, Nevada

Melvine Ouyo

Population Connection Board Member & Executive Director, Hope for Kenya Slum Adolescents Initiative, Nairobi, Kenya

Lesley Pories

Policy Lead, Water and Sanitation Financing, WaterAid, United Kingdom

Kathy Raffel

Retired (Former Faculty at University of San Francisco in the School of Nursing and Health Professions), San Francisco

Onja Razafindratsima

Integrative Biology Assistant Professor, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California

Sydney Rodman

CEO, Green Revival, Washington, DC

Sabrina Farah Salsabilla

CEO, ReservoAir, Indonesia

John Seager

President, Population Connection, Washington, DC

Maria Seitz

Teacher, St Christopher's School, Richmond, Virginia

Trudy Swan

Retired Science Teacher, Yorktown Heights, New York

Keshari Tiwari

Junior Consultant, Stockholm International Water Institute, Saskatoon, Canada

Leonore Tjikune Cavalier

Communications Director, International Water Resources Association, France

Jerry Van Den Berge

Researcher Water Governance, Wageningen University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Paula Waatainen

Professor, Faculty of Education, Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, British Columbia

Carol Ward

AP Human Geography and World Geography Teacher, Windsor High School - Weld RE4, Windsor, Colorado

Andrea Williams

President, National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS), Washington, DC

Jill Williams

Secondary ELA Curriculum Specialist, Westerville City Schools, Westerville, Ohio

JD Williams

Principal Consultant, Pinnacle Educational Services, Canada

Kimberly Worsham

Founder & Principal, FLUSH, San Francisco, California

Yoko Yamamoto

Visiting Associate Professor of Education, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Anthony Zanin

Assistant Principal, Hutto ISD, Hutto, Texas
Get started winners

Want to see yourself among the winners?
2025-2026 contest entries open in early September!

Learn More