Young people want to make a difference on important global topics, and the World of 8 Billion international student video contest has helped them amplify their voices. Today we announced the winners of the 2023-2024 contest and are thrilled to share the videos that took home top prizes.

Formerly known by the name World of 7 Billion, the contest is in its 13th year. This year, middle and high school students were tasked with creating a 60-second video that explored population growth in relation to one of three global challenges: Climate Migration, Health, or Invasive Species. Over 3,100 videos were created, coming from 58 countries and 46 U.S. states and territories.

In addition to educating viewers about their chosen topic and how it relates to human population growth, students had to propose at least one idea for a sustainable answer to the issue. The winning pieces presented innovative solutions like regenerative shorelines to combat coastal flooding, utilizing new technology to narrow health disparities, and sustainable agriculture practices to stop the spread of invasive species.

Linked below are the first place winners of the World of 8 Billion video competition.

High School – 1st place winners

Floods: Planting A Stable Coastline by Ruike Pan of Kirkland, WA (Climate Migration)
Breathe Easy with Living Walls by Nila Arunkumar of Austin, TX (Health)
Saving The Bosque by Jack Barkhurst of Albuquerque, NM (Invasive Species)

Middle School – 1st place winners

Coastal Communities by Sahil Parasharami of Eden Prairie, MN (Climate Migration)
Hydroponics to Feed the Planet by Astrid Winterstein of Santa Fe, NM (Health)
An Ancient Invasion by Daniel Taich of Lyndhurst, OH (Invasive Species)

Check out and stream all of the 18 winning student videos, created by young people hailing from Egypt to Canada and New Mexico to Massachusetts.

Congratulations to the winning student filmmakers!