World:
2020-2021 Winners
The World of 7 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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Contest Judges
| Name | Position, Work Place |
|---|---|
| Ali Mohamed Abbas | Secretary General, Sudanese Population Network |
| Andrea Thomas, Ed.D. | Principal Consultant, AET Global |
| Anika Manzoor | Youth Activism Project, Bethesda, MD |
| Anne Carlson, Ph.D. | Senior Climate Adaptation Specialist, The Wilderness Society |
| Anne Mannarino, Ed.D. | University Instructor, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA |
| Anne Soos | AP Consultant, Environmental Science, Retired, Princeton, NJ |
| Beth Coleman Nickles | 8th grade science teacher, Duxbury Middle School, Duxbury, MA |
| Bob Besso | Retired Recycling-Waste Diversion Manager, Recology, San Francisco, CA |
| Brenda Metcalf | Executive Director, Environmental Education Council of Ohio |
| Bryce Hach | Biology and AP Environmental Science Teacher, North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, ME |
| Cathy Knoop | Development Director/Adult Education, Camp Oty'Okwa, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio |
| Deborah S. Greenhut, Ph.D. | CEO, Creative Room for Learning, East Brunswick, NJ |
| Deborah W Elliott | Co-founder, Teachwithmovies.org |
| Dorothea Panayotou, Ph.D. | Educator & Environmental Scientist, Self-Employed, New Fairfield, CT |
| Amanda Clark, Ph.D. | Associate Professor in Natural Sciences, Chipola College, Panama City, FL |
| Amita N. Vyas, Ph.D., MHS | Associate Professor, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, DC |
| Bob Pettapiece, Ed.D. | Retired, Social Studies Educator, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI |
| Brian R. Shmaefsky, Ed.D. | Professor of Environmental Science, Lone Star College – Kingwood, TX |
| DawnElla M. Rust, Ed.D | Health Science Professor, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX |
| Karen N. Evans, Ed.S., D.Min. | Instructor, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL |
| Marian DeWane, Ed.D. | AP Environmental Science Consultant and Instructor, University of California, Irvine |
| Sam Hopp, Ph.D. | Education Consultant, Bethlehem, PA |
| Scottie Smith, Ph.D | Upper School Science Teacher, Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, FL |
| Ed Wilcox | Watershed Research and Extension Associate, Kentucky State University, Florence, KY |
| Eli Kintisch | Producer, PBS NewsHour |
| Elizabeth O. Crawford, Ph.D. | Associate Professor of Elementary Education, University of North Carolina at Wilmington |
| E'Lon Cohen Hall | Senior Manager, Operations and Programs, Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), Brooklyn, NY |
| Felix Akrofi-Atitianti | Officer, Climate and Energy Action, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, Bonn, Germany |
| Gabrielle Mosquera | Deputy Director, Teens for Food Justice, New York, NY |
| Gail Luera, Ph.D. | Professor Emeritus of Education, University of Michigan-Dearborn |
| Eugene Kutscher | Retired District Science Chair, Roslyn (NY) Public Schools |
| James J Lehner | Science Teacher, The Taft School, Watertown, CT |
| Janet Beach Davis | Faculty for Earth and Environmental Sciences, Heartland Community College, Normal, IL |
| Jennifer Adams | Science Teacher, Englewood STEM High School (Chicago Public Schools) |
| John Volpa | Director of Education, Pinelands Adventures |
| Karen Beitler | Adjunct Professor, Environmental Science - University of Connecticut |
| Karen Roos | Environmental Educator, Greenbelt Conservancy, Staten Island, NY |
| Kelley Dennings | Population Campaigner, Center for Biological Diversity |
| Ken Folger | Middle School Science Teacher, Harding Academy, Nashville, TN |
| Kerri Allen | Coastal Advocate, North Carolina Coastal Federation, Wilmington, NC |
| Mahmoud Abouelnaga | Solutions Fellow, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) |
| Marine Delgrange | Global Health Education in Schools Coordinator, Students for Global Health UK, President, UK Model World Health Organization (United Kingdom) |
| Marshall & Carol Goldberg | Political activist and naturalist, Retired physician and teacher |
| Jeffery Martell | Public Outreach, REI Boulder |
| Nina Henderson | Science Teacher/Department Chair, Suncoast Polytechnical HS, Sarasota, FL |
| Norman Dudziak | Retired Environmental Engineer, Citizen Scientist, Barrington, RI |
| Pam Shlachtman | Department Chair, Science, Miami Palmetto Senior High School |
| Patricia Heaney | Assistant Director of Education, The Watershed Institute, Pennington, NJ |
| Patricia G Patrick, Ph.D. | Associate Professor of Educational Research, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA |
| Patricia Newman | Author, Award-winning Environmental Books for Children, - |
| Patricio Chambers Mejía | Executive Director, Guayllabamba Waterkeeper, Pinchincha, Ecuador |
| Paul Hackl | Assistant Curriculum Leader-Geography and Cross-Curricular Experiences, Toronto District School Board |
| Rachel Velez | Water Justice Program & Communications Manager, Clean Water for North Carolina, Durham, NC |
| Sarah Baillie | Population & Sustainability Organizer, Center for Biological Diversity |
| Susan T. Schleith | Program Lead, K-12 Education, FSEC Energy Research Center, University of Central Florida, Cocoa, FL |
| Ted Toal, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Researcher in Cancer Genomics, University of California, Davis |
| Ursula King | Owner/Principal Consultant, Regenerative Community, Nashville, TN |
| Victoria Ortiz | Community Engagement Manager, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, South Lake Tahoe, CA |
| Zaynab Baalbaki | Consultant, Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools, Milwaukee, WI |
| John Seager | President and CEO, Population Connection |
Thank you to all the teachers and students who participated in the 2020-2021 World of 7 Billion student video contest. We were blown away by the creativity, passion, and expertise showcased throughout the videos, especially by the 18 winning films. 
The contest first ran during the 2010-2011 school year as a “teachable moment” around 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 10th year, over 21,000 student-made 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 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.