Young Visionaries Shine in Global Spotlight: Winners Announced in World of 8 Billion Student Video Competition

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, May 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Bold ideas. Big impact. In just 60 seconds.

That’s what 18 creative and solution-driven students delivered in the annual World of 8 Billion video contest, hosted by Population Connection. The competition drew more than 4,600 students from 67 countries – including Uzbekistan, Canada, India, and Uganda - as well as 45 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, all committed to exploring the intersection of population growth and global challenges. See the winning videos.

This year’s contest asked students to tackle some of the most pressing issues of our time— Child Wellbeing, Rainforest Ecosystems, and Sanitation—through one-minute videos packed with research, storytelling, and solutions. These topics reflect the far-reaching effects of population growth:

- The physical, mental, and emotional state of children greatly depends on their access to resources, the safety of their communities, and the reliability of the services around them.
- Climate change, mining, agriculture, and deforestation threaten the biodiversity and health of rainforests, which not only provide habitat for wildlife, but critical resources that humans rely on and benefit from.
- People have always struggled for proper sanitation - access to clean water for drinking and cleaning, as well as a system for safely handling human waste. It is crucial for public health and has been recognized as a human right.

And the students delivered. With compelling messages and creative approaches, winners proposed innovative solutions such as solar-powered composting toilets, farm-to-family partnerships, agroforestry, and reimagining public transit.

“The thousands of students who took part in this year’s contest showed depth of thought, creativity, and a sense of collective responsibility for our environment and the wellbeing of people in their communities and around the globe,” said John Seager, President of Population Connection.

“Teachers tell us that the contest provides excellent learning opportunities to research a timely issue, develop solutions and use technology to communicate their messages,” added Pam Wasserman, Senior Vice President for Education.

Winners didn’t just earn recognition—they also took home cash prizes. Each high school first-place winner received $1,200, second-place winners earned $600, and honorable mentions were awarded $300 each. Middle school first- and second-place winners received $600 and $300, respectively.

The contest is run by Population Education, a program of Population Connection. Winners were selected by a panel of 51 judges that included educators, filmmakers, and subject matter experts.

🎥 Check out the winning videos and meet the young changemakers.
🌍 Learn more about the World of 8 Billion contest.

Ana-Maria Gutierrez
Population Education
worldof8billion@populationeducation.org