Bucking the Life Checklist: college, marriage, motherhood
“Why did your husband not leave you? Were his options that bad? Refusing to have children when the other partner wants them is a good reason for the child-wanting person…
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Together, we are tackling one of our planet’s greatest challenges: global population growth. We’re deeply grateful for your dedication to protecting reproductive freedom and valuing education for the greater good of our one small, shared planet!
Find the latest updates on our work below, all made possible thanks to YOUR generous gift.
Population Education
Looking ahead, we’re excited for the Summer Leadership Institute at Villanova University (July 24-26) in Radnor, Pennsylvania, and our upcoming Fall Leadership Institute in Saint Paul, Minnesota. We anticipate adding about 60 new trainers to our growing volunteer network of 700+ educators who volunteer their time to introduce their peers to PopEd!
Meanwhile, the winners of the 2025-2026 World of 8 Billion student video contest have been announced! Students in grades 6-12 were tasked to submit their creative solutions to address this year’s global challenge topics: Energy, Wetlands, & Economics. This contest encourages students to make the population connection, show off their filmmaking skills, and win prizes. We received submissions from students from over 60 countries! View the winning entries here.
This Spring, PopEd returned to the National Science Teaching Association‘s annual conference. Held in Anaheim, the PopEd team hosted a booth in the exhibit hall, engaging more than 300 educators who were interested in learning more about PopEd’s resources. PopEd staff and trainers presented three workshops for elementary, middle, and high school educators.
Additionally, we shared resources at NSTA’s Share-a-Thon for Informal Educators who teach at non-school locations like nature centers, science museums, and more!
PopEd staff showcasing teacher resources and classroom materials at the conference’s Share-a-Thon
Explore PopEd Resources
Every year, Population Education attends the National Council for the Social Studies national conference, and 2025 was no different! The PopEd team attended the annual event in December to meet with social studies educators from across the country and provide them with free teaching resources.
At PopEd’s booth in the exhibit hall, more than 150 educators stopped by to pick up posters like our World Population map, gain access to our lesson plan libraries, explore the World Population “dot” video, and chat with our energetic team about professional development opportunities. PopEd team members also facilitated three interactive sessions, attended by 73 teachers, that showcased the many ways PopEd materials can be incorporated into social studies classes at all grade levels.
PopEd Trainers at the National Council for the Social Studies national conference in December 2025
Learn About PopEd's Teacher Workshops
Last year marked an incredible milestone: 50 years of Population Education (PopEd)! Over the decades, PopEd has refined its program, earning a reputation for educational excellence. As the only national program dedicated to helping teachers address human population issues, PopEd fills an important need within K-12 educational settings. Learn more about PopEd’s 50 years of educating K-12 students, with our commemorative December 2025 issue of Population Connection!
Pam facilitates a population estimation activity at a Leadership Institute in Arkansas in 2017
Read the December Issue
Population Studies for Higher Education
Our Population Studies for Higher Education Program continues to engage college students through dynamic presentations and academic resources, including contributions to The Encyclopedia of Biodiversity. We’re off to a strong start this year, with our team presenting to more than 50 college classes across this semester, exploring the links between population, health, environment, and sustainable development.
In addition to giving presentations, our program will once again offer a five-week summer course at the University of North Carolina, later this summer. The course, “World Population Problems,” is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who are eager to learn about the connections between demography, health, and human rights.
“Thank you for your guest lecture. I speak on behalf of the students and myself that we enjoyed your talk deeply and appreciate the insights you shared connecting population, climate change, health, and women’s rights. This is an important issue that deserves attention both locally and internationally. Many thanks also to Population Connection for supporting this advocacy and educational program.” Dr. Idowu "Jola" Ajibade, Professor of Geography, Portland State University
Reproductive Health and Rights Advocacy: #Fight4HER
It’s no secret that last year was a challenging one for the global advancement of reproductive health and rights, and 2026 has begun with continued obstacles. The Trump administration announced the expansion of the Global Gag Rule, adding provisions that target DEI and gender inclusion programs.
In response, our Field Team have strengthened the next phase of our joint #Fight4HER campaign with Population Connection Action Fund. We’re mobilizing activists in key battleground states—Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, and New Hampshire—while maintaining a strong presence in Washington, D.C.
For the first time, Population Connection sent a representative to the Commission on the Status of Women, the leading annual international conference aimed at advancing women’s empowerment. Our Director of International Research and Policy, Melvine Ouyo, attended this year’s event, held from March 9-19 at the UN Headquarters in New York City. The theme focused on “Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers.”
Melvine with the CSW70 banner
Read Melvine's Recap Report
From International Women’s Day rallies to nationwide “No Kings” protests, our community continues to show up, speak out, and demand comprehensive reproductive health care for all. Your support fuels this movement, and we are deeply grateful for your unwavering commitment to health, dignity, and human rights.
Our National Field Director, Lauren Salmiery protesting against the Global Gag Rule at a rally in DC.
Stay connected and take action!
Ongoing Media Coverage
Population Connection continues to monitor news coverage and swiftly responds to misleading articles through op-eds, letters to the editor (LTEs), and press releases. In fall 2025, we were featured in NPR’s Weekend Edition as part of its Population Shift series and we were also quoted in a CNN article on pronatalism. So far this year, we have published two LTEs and contributed one additional media quote:
- On March 23, 2026, The Washington Post published our LTE in rebuttal to the article “Fallout from The Population Bomb”.
- On March 19, 2026, Population Connection’s LTE response to “Paul Ehrlich Was Wrong About Everything” was published in The Los Angeles Times.
- On January 26, 2026, we were quoted in “Maga Women Lead the Charge to Inspire Baby Boom,” published by The Telegraph.
Population Connection has special consultative status with the United Nations (UN) through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This status allows us to attend UN conferences, deliver written and oral statements, and comment on drafts of important publications.
From April 13 to 17, Florence Blondel, our Digital Media Manager, attended the UN’s 59th Session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD59). Florence made PopConnect’s presence known by delivering a fantastic oral statement, which Population Institute signed on to as well. Additionally, we hosted an official side event and submitted a written statement, which was included in the official conference program.
Florence Blondel at UNCPD in NYC
Read Florence's Recap Report
Much of the recent news coverage has responded to the passing of our co-founder, Paul Ehrlich, this past March. Paul and his wife, Anne, authored The Population Bomb in 1968, which raised global awareness of the impacts of rapid population growth and the significance of voluntary family planning services. We send our condolences to Paul Ehrlich’s family, friends, and countless colleagues, as well as Population Connection supporters like you, who have tirelessly carried on the movement Paul sparked nearly 60 years ago.
Photo Credit: 2010 Paul R. Ehrlich
Learn more about Paul's legacy
Virtual Events and Global Partners
In 2025, our virtual events brought together nearly 1,000 supporters who remain curious about the solutions to global population growth! Your support has also boosted the reach our Global Partners initiative.
At the same time, our Global Partners initiative expanded from 19 to 24 organizations across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, supporting critical work in education, health, and sustainability. I hope you feel good knowing what a difference your investments in our efforts make and I encourage you to tune in as we feature these new partner organizations in future events!
We celebrated “Earth Month” with a slew of activities supported by members and supporters like YOU!
Members tabled at Earth Day events in New York City, Pensacola, Florida, and Galena, Illinois — reaching hundreds of people in their local communities with materials and information, making the links between population growth, climate change, resource depletion, and other environmental challenges.
Lead volunteer, Paula G., at NYC’s Earth Day event in Union Square
Get Involved
This year has gotten off to a strong and inspiring start:
- January: We hosted Aid Withheld: One Year Without U.S. Global Health Assistance, featuring community organizers directly affected by Trump’s dissolution of USAID. Speakers shared firsthand accounts of how funding cuts have disrupted essential health services and what it means for communities on the ground.
x - March: Staff member Hannah Evans led Partner Perspectives with Women for Conservation, spotlighting our Colombian Global Partner. The presentation highlighted how Women for Conservation empowers women as environmental leaders and sustainability advocates. Hannah shared insights from her site visit to Colombia and her discussions with Sara Lara, the organization’s founder and executive director.
x - April: Board member Robert Engelman hosted our official side event for the UN Commission on Population and Development (59th Session). His presentation, Demographic and Contraceptive Research, Technology, and Education to Support Sustainable Population Dynamics, emphasized the critical role of data and research in building global support for family planning programs.
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- May to July: Our popular Summer Photo Contest is now in its fifth year, and YOU are invited to submit an entry! Winning photos will be published in the September issue of this magazine, featured on our website throughout the year, and used in other Population Connection digital and print publications. The deadline for entries is World Population Day — July 11!
Florence and Hannah meet with Sinasana women’s group supported by our partners, Women for Conservation.
2026 Virtual Events Archive
Why population?
There are 214 million women in the developing world who want to prevent pregnancy but have an unmet need for modern contraception.
Up to 1 million species are threatened with extinction in the coming decades.
One in 12 people already lives below the international poverty line of $2.15 per day.
Stabilizing population plays an important role in confronting the world’s climate crisis.
Check out our latest publications!
2025 Virtual Event Archive
Virtual events are an easy and accessible way for you to learn more about population issues, connect with Population Connection staff, and meet others interested in working together for a more sustainable future for our planet.
Since 2020, we’ve engaged with our supporters by hosting a variety of virtual events to stay up-to-date on issues relating to our work. We’ve heard presentations from speakers working in the fields of conservation, reproductive rights, public health, demography, and more! Visit our event archive to view recordings, presentation slides, and speaker bios from some of our recent events.
Event Archive Available Here
2025 Updates
8,000+ Activists
Population Connection Action Fund mobilized thousands of activists through petitions, marches, volunteer meetings, and partner-led events.
10,000+ Educators
Population Education hosted workshops for more than 11,000 K-12 educators throughout the U.S. and Canada, providing them with the materials and resources they need to teach PopEd in their classrooms.
900+ Supporters
Membership Relations engaged with our supporter base through 20 virtual events this year, including book club discussions and webinars featuring our Global Partners, guest speakers, and PopConnect staff.
Thank you for supporting us in 2025!
As we reflect on the past year, we would like to highlight the remarkable achievements of Population Connection and Population Connection Action Fund. Your support has had a significant impact, enabling us to raise awareness about population issues and advocate for policies that protect the family planning programs that will help us achieve zero population growth once and for all.
Explore Our 2025 HighlightsFor further exploration, watch our annual Year in Review event, where senior staff share our collective achievements in 2025!
Watch the Recording!