Published on October 10th, 2013 | by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg1
Creative High School Students Needed to Spread the Word on Population & Sustainability (and Maybe Win $1000)
Discussions of “baby busts” notwithstanding, the growth of the human population past the 7 billion mark presents enormous challenges for our resource base. How do we ensure that clean air and water, healthy food, and energy (among other needs) are available to a population of this size? Can we do so without further depleting these resources at even more unsustainable levels?
Probably not the kinds of questions you often hear discussed in high school hallways, but that doesn’t mean that students don’t have ideas on these important issues. Population Connection’s annual World of 7 Billion video contest asks kids in grades 9-12 (or the age equivalent) to share their thoughts in the form of a 60 second public service announcement video. This year, the competition asks student filmmakers to focus their PSAs on the connections between population growth and one of the following global challenges: climate change, global poverty or water sustainability.
If your student has ideas, but has no idea how to start pulling them together into a one-minute video format, no problem: the World of 7 Billion website has suggestions for background reading and video creation that should inspire even the most inexperienced auteur. Take a look at the the judging rubric to see how the contest judges will “grade” the videos submitted.
Winners in each global challenge category will receive cash prizes; the grand prize winner will get a cool $1000. Entries are due by Friday, February 21, 2014. And, teachers, if you’d like to incorporate this contest into your lesson plans, there are potential freebies for you, too.
Sound like something a teenager you know might want to do? If so, make sure to tell us about the video they make…