Population Education, September 2024

Written by Sally Watanabe, Student Engagement Fellow | Published: September 9, 2024

Cultivating Hope in a World of 8 Billion

Winners of the 2023–2024 Student Video Contest Announced

Each year, the World of 8 Billion International Student Video Contest inspires us with hope as middle and high school students consider various global challenges. By participating, they become aware of these issues and think critically about sustainable solutions.

Over 3,100 videos were created by students from 58 countries and 46 US states and territories this year. Close to 400 teachers used the contest as a classroom assignment — some have been participating for all 11 years!

The three topics this year were chosen to explore climate-based displacement, ecosystem challenges, and human well-being — students created one-minute videos on climate migration, invasive species, or health. They were challenged to explain how a growing population affects their selected topic, and to identify a sustainable way to address a specific issue.

PopEd staff judged the first round, advancing 50 videos to a panel of 49 guest judges consisting of educators, journalists, filmmakers, and topic experts. They determined our 18 winning videos. High school winners received $1,200 for first place, $600 for second place, and $300 for honorable mention. The middle school winners received $600 for first place and $300 for second place.

Our student winners impressed us with their artwork, cinematography, and innovative solutions, and by making local connections to global topics. It was difficult to narrow down the selection of winners, as many videos demonstrated students’ critical thinking, attention to detail, and creativity in crafting their message.

To celebrate the winners, we hosted a virtual film screening in early June. If you missed it, grab some snacks and watch this year’s winning videos here, where you can also read about the students and what inspired them to create their incredible videos.

Climate Migration

1st Place, High School

Floods: Planting A Stable Coastline

Ruike Pan
Eastside Preparatory School
Kirkland, WA

Ruike is a talented artist who used her drawing and felting skills to create a unique backdrop for her message on rising sea levels. She was motivated to create a video on this topic by having relatives who are affected by flooding. “Although our society places an emphasis on efficiency, we can improve a lot of things if we consider the long-term environmental impacts,” she reflected.

2nd Place, High School

Mangrove Forests

Imani Laird
Newton South High School
Newton, MA

Imani is fascinated by mangrove forests as a solution to coastal erosion. In producing her video, she drew on things she had learned in her AP Environmental Science class and in her previous filmmaking experience. It was her first time creating animations for a video project, though, and her advice is to “just go for it and use your resources because there’s so much out there.”

1st Place, Middle School

Coastal Communities

Sahil Parasharami
Central Middle School
Eden Prairie, MN

Sahil focused his video on connections between rising sea levels and climate change. Through his research, he learned that over 410 million people worldwide could be displaced because of coastal flooding by 2100. He combined this knowledge with his passion for video production to create a stop-motion film that advocated ways that government, industry, and individuals can make a difference.

2nd Place, Middle School

Climate Migration — The Plight of Displaced People

Hussein Rashed, Hassan El Hadidi, Omar Shenoufy, and Mahmoud Shalaby
El Alsson British & American International School
Giza, Egypt

These students worked together and were surprised to learn how many people flee their homes every day due to climate change. They each played a different role in script writing, narrating, and video editing.