In November, I presented at the Global Learning for an Open World (GLOW) conference. My session was “Exploring SDGs through Collaborative Video Projects,” featuring the World of 8 Billion student video contest.
The GLOW conference was a virtual 24 hour event that brought together educators from all over the world to connect and share ideas. With themes like global competence and international mindedness, intercultural communication, and youth voice, I knew our globally-focused student video contest would be a great fit.
A Student Contest for Global Education
The World of 8 Billion student contest challenges students to create a one-minute video that connects a global topic to population growth and includes a sustainable solution. My presentation at GLOW shared how participating in the student video contest can help contribute to the progress of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. I was also excited to share how the contest promotes civic learning and civic action, providing students with an opportunity to find their voice, raise awareness about the importance of addressing the SDGs, and inspire others to take action.
Student Video Contest Connections to the SDGs
This year’s three contest topics are perfect for covering global sustainability and teaching about the SDGs. The contest topics are: Energy, Wetlands, and Economics, each of which connects directly to the Sustainable Development Goals, as you can see in the chart below.
| Contest Topic | SDG Connection | How tackling the challenge can make a difference. |
| Energy | SDG7 – Affordable and Clean Energy | Most energy comes from burning fossil fuels, causing pollution, climate change, and habitat loss. How can we change the energy system so it’s cleaner and more accessible to all? |
| Wetlands | SDG15 – Life on Land. And SDG 15.1 emphasizes the importance of conserving freshwater ecosystems, including wetlands. | Wetlands are diverse, water-saturated ecosystems that have long been destroyed, which is why protecting them is essential today. |
| Economics | SDG8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth | Economics is how people use limited resources, making sustainability vital as populations grow. Where and how economies grow, and who benefits, will impact the well-being of all people. |
Global Education Lesson Plans on Display
In addition to sharing the video contest, I demonstrated two Population Education lessons that both integrate experiential learning and promote global competence.
Everything is Connected – This cause-and-effect word web helps students identify some of the many interconnections between the human population, resources, and the environment. You can either intentionally include the SDGs by requiring students to include SDG topics in their word webs or have them identify SDG connections after their word webs are complete.
Then encourage students to examine how their chosen video topic fits into the web and connects to the Sustainable Development Goals. For example, if they chose the global topic Economics, they can see how progress towards SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) might lead to the improvement of the targets in SDG 3 (Ensuring Healthy Lives) and SDG 10 (Reducing Inequalities).
One for All – This lesson is a fun game that lets students experience how natural resource management today can impact its availability in the future. With a focus on sustainably at its core, the activity directly connects to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, as students must decide if they will consume for their own benefit in the short-term or preserve the resource for the long-term. How has the game experience changed students’ thinking? How can what they learned about sustainability be applied to the topic of their contest video?
Student Materials and Tools
At the end of the session, resources were shared to help teachers and students organize their student video projects, including a project organizer and guide. These resources help students break down the competition steps into digestible parts, allowing them to focus more on how they can make an impact. I also shared that we have ways for students to continue being changemakers after the contest concludes. The World of 8 Billion’s Activism Toolkit provides student-friendly strategies and fun, actionable ideas for civic engagement on issues they are passionate about.