Hailey Hess’s “Stop the Cycle” won second place in the World of 7 Billion student video contest. She chose to connect population to the global challenge: “Most of the earth’s suitable farmland is already under cultivation.”

“Education is a human right yet unattainable for many.” This reality check statement springboards Hailey’s video which focuses not only on the lack of universal education but more specifically on this burden for girls. Video clips of adorable children and communities in economically struggling areas pulls at the heartstrings and creates an emotional reaction. As young mother and her child wave to the camera, we hear that “failure to education women leads to higher fertility rates” because many women lack the means and knowledge to prevent unwanted pregnancies. And increasing girls access to schooling can be a first step in breaking the cycle of poverty that is expected to cause much of the future population increase.

Creating a video was a project in Hailey’s AP Environmental Science class at Coppell High School in Coppell, TX, where she is a senior. Prior to the project, Hailey had learned about the lack of education worldwide in school, but it was a mission trip to where she really saw it firsthand. Taking part in the World of 7 Billion video contest was not Hailey’s first experience with film nor will it be her last. She is a program director for her school’s weekly student broadcast program and plans to attend UT-Austin next year for Radio-Television-Film.

Want to see the other top videos on this topic?
First Place – “What Would You Sacrifice for an Education?” by Andrew Schwenn
Honorable Mention – “Universal Education and How it Gives Everyone a Fair Chance” by Matthew Buxton
Honorable Mention – “Would You Make that Difference?” by Niquelle Lewis

Want to participate in a future contest?
Interested in staying informed about next year’s contest? Visit the contest website today and download our free lesson plan to guide you.