Celebrating the Winners of the 2025–2026 Student Video Contest

Written by Michelle Hom, Student Engagement Fellow | Published: September 8, 2026

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the World of 8 Billion international student video contest. More than 3,275 videos were submitted from 63 countries and 45 US states and territories, exploring the global topics of Energy, Economics, and Wetlands.

We were inspired by the in-depth research, creativity, and time students dedicated to their projects. Through the winning videos, students highlighted innovative solutions including settling ponds, solar microgrids, geothermal energy, and sustainable fashion. A panel of 57 expert judges in education and environmental stewardship selected the winning videos.

Nearly 300 teachers integrated the contest into their classrooms, motivating students to raise their voices, share solutions, and become changemakers for a more sustainable future. For the second year in a row, we offered mini-grants that helped teachers access cameras, editing software, and other filmmaking tools, making it easier for students to bring their ideas to life. We awarded 23 teachers with grants up to $500, allowing more than 720 students, mostly from schools new to the contest, to participate. We plan to continue offering this opportunity to US teachers for next year’s contest, which opens in September.

This year’s winners impressed us with thoughtful and engaging videos showing the importance of expanding energy access, promoting sustainable economies, and protecting wetlands as the world’s population continues to grow. The informative one-minute videos inspire us to think critically about the individual and collective actions we can take to form a more equitable and resilient world.

In recognition of their outstanding work, high school winners were awarded $1,200 for first place, $600 for second place, and $300 for honorable mention. Middle school winners received $600 for first place and $300 for second place.

In early June, we hosted a virtual film screening to celebrate our winners. Students and their families and teachers, contest judges, and Population Connection staff came together to showcase the winning videos and the student producers behind them.

After the contest, many student winners build on their experience by sharing their videos with professionals in the field, advocating for sustainable solutions and continuing to explore global issues in college.

Learn more about this year’s winning videos, the student filmmakers, and their plans post-contest.

ENERGY

Geothermal Energy: An Infinite Resource

Kathy Yang, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, West Windsor, NJ

Kathy was inspired to create her video after learning about geothermal energy in her environmental science class and speaking with a professional in the field. In her spare time, Kathy loves interviewing environmental experts about various issues and posting the videos on her YouTube channel. She hopes to work for NOAA or NASA in the future.

Move Together, Save Energy

Zening Zhao, Saddle River Day School, Saddle River, NJ

Zening was motivated to make a video on mass transportation after growing up near New York City and seeing firsthand how mass transit reduces energy use. Zening brings his video to life by incorporating appealing visuals and filming on the New York City subway. At college, he plans to major in civil engineering to explore how he can make cities more accessible.

Energy Access

Kiera Sala, Canadian International School of Hong Kong, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, SAR

Kiera decided to focus on energy access after traveling to the Philippines and noticing that it was concentrated in affluent cities there. Her video featured community microgrids and their effective use in Kenya. Kiera has also participated in other competitions, including the WeVoi Summit, where she was awarded two Gold Achievement Certificates and one Silver Achievement Certificate.

Sand Batteries: Powering the Way to a Sustainable Future

Karis Tseng and Anika Chandak, Juan Cabrillo Middle School, Santa Clara, CA

This pair discovered sand batteries as a new, viable renewable energy source after studying a map on energy poverty and conducting online research. Both girls like to participate in science competitions and read outside of school. Karis also does gymnastics while Anika enjoys swimming.

ECONOMICS

Kaitlyn Zhang formal portrait

Earth Is Not Your Shopping Cart

Kaitlyn Zhang, The Country Day School, King City, Ontario, Canada

After learning about the contest through her environmental science teacher and researching the negative effects of fast fashion, Kaitlyn was motivated to create a video on this topic. She made sure to include important statistics and form a simple call to action to make her video stand out. In the fall, Kaitlyn will attend Yale University, where she plans to study computer science and economics.

The Future of Housing

Matthew Park, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora, IL

After learning about the US housing crisis through his civic engagement fellowship, Matthew was inspired to shed light on the issue and emphasize the importance of community land trusts as a solution. Matthew creates Instagram videos for youth on financial literacy, and developed a concussion detector headband called HIALO, which raises awareness among youth athletes about concussions.

Hanging by a Thread

Katherine Rose Li, Bedford Middle School, Westport, CT

Katherine, who chose to focus on economics and fast fashion, was determined to make an understandable, relatable, and entertaining video. She specifically encourages viewers to adopt sustainable fashion by purchasing clothing made from biodegradable fabrics. In her spare time, Katherine enjoys participating in Science Olympiad competitions and taking cello lessons.

Economic Growth Through Education to Overcome Child Labor

Jonathan Wang and Ada Ngai, Juan Cabrillo Middle School, Santa Clara, CA

Jonathan and Ada made a video highlighting how countries boost their economies by investing in children’s education. The pair shared how child labor damages a child’s life and prevents them from accessing education. Outside of school, both enjoy competing in the Math Olympiad and are part of the FIRST LEGO League.

WETLANDS

Settling, for a Pond!

Matty Perkins and Teagan Vanoni, Rancho Campana High School, Camarillo, CA

This duo spent an entire day traveling and filming different local wetlands in their county. Their goal was to show local settling ponds and how they decrease erosion while promoting biodiversity. In the fall, Matty is majoring in film and biology at California State University, Monterey Bay. Teagan will attend community college and specialize in cosmetology.

Breathing Under Pressure: Earth and 8 Billion

Anay Pradhan, The International School of the Hague, The Hague, Zuid Holland, Netherlands

Anay filmed in his local area, capturing the importance of protecting peatlands. He was particularly surprised to learn that peatlands are huge carbon sinks and filter large amounts of water. Outside of school, Anay has participated in many conferences and summits, including the European Education & Sustainability Leadership Summit, where he won for creating a rainwater harvesting device.

Restoring the World Slowly

Sanjit Kodumuri, Pioneer Heritage Middle School, Frisco, TX

In his video, Sanjit showcases the importance of healthy shorelines to protect wetlands through two handmade clay models showing the difference between an eroded shoreline and a living shoreline. The 8th grader has a passion for protecting the environment and plans to interview wetland experts and share his video with them to continue raising awareness.

Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future

Viaan Bachalakuri, Eric Yan, Arjun Reddy, and Karthik Tumala, Nelson Middle School, Frisco, TX

This team of four worked together to share how wetlands play a critical role in climate regulation. They introduced paludiculture as a solution for protecting and sustainably using wetlands. Viaan enjoys playing the violin, Eric has competed in robotics competitions, Arjun has won several art awards, and Karthik plays soccer.