Copiague Middle School seventh graders Juliette Peralta and Gabriela Salgado-Mejia have earned New York State honors in the international World of 8 Billion student video contest for their video submission, “How Kids Education Affects the Population.” Sponsored by Population Education, a program of the nonprofit Population Connection, the contest invites young people to explore the challenges of population growth and propose sustainable solutions.

For the World of 8 Billion video project, students create a one-minute video that addresses one of this year’s global topics, suggests a sustainable solution and connects how human population growth impacts that topic.

Now in its 14th year, the World of 8 Billion contest has engaged more than 32,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Each year, topics are updated to reflect current global trends and challenges. The 2025 judging panel included 51 experts from around the world. “We hope the contest helps amplify student voices on the complex issues of our growing world,” said Pam Wasserman, senior vice president for education at Population Connection. “The winning videos really celebrate the students’ exemplary research, creativity and problem-solving skills.”