2018 PMC Video Contest Winners Announced
Population Media Center awarded $4,000 USD in prizes to winners of this year’s “One Planet, Many People” video contest for 14-18-year-olds around the world. The contest featured cash prizes for creating a short video, under two minutes, exploring how a rapidly growing human population might impact the world and how education, gender equality, or other changes can slow, end, or reverse population growth.
“This was the fourth annual contest,” said Keith Kaback, M.D., Director of Population Media Center’s video contest. “The contest serves as an incentive to stimulate students to participate in a project-based learning opportunity that allows them to express their creativity while they learn some basics about population and sustainability.”
Uwadione Esther from St. Mulumba Catholic College in Lagere, Nigeria won the $1,000 grand prize for “Ending the Recurring Cycle. Second place, and $500, went to Raúl Falcón from Colegio San José in San Juan, Puerto Rico for “225 Million.” Third place, and $300, went to Ray Harper from Desert University High School in Tucson, Arizona for “Under Control.” Fourth place, and $200, went to Beka Oden from New Vista High School in Boulder, Colorado for “A Planet At Stake.” And Best High School Participation, and $500, went to the Science Department at Desert View High School in Tucson, Arizona.
“I was surprised to learn just how many different parts there were to the issue of effects of overpopulation, and of the reasons for it happening to the magnitude it does,” said Ray Harper, third place winner. “This contest, I found, was a way to unify my passions of filmmaking and editing with environmental sustainability, among the most important issues we must face, together. Thank you again for this incredible opportunity!”
The video contest started in 2015 for high schoolers in Arizona, but organizers decided to open the contest internationally this year. Marcela Berumen, a science teacher in Arizona, guided her students to create 39 videos.
“I love the video project because it allows students to learn about population through a hands on project,” said Berumen. “Instead of lecturing about negative effects and solutions of an overpopulated world, students are able to use the resources provided to discover them on their own, which makes it more meaningful to the student. It is especially beneficial when we learn about the carbon cycle and students make the connection and explain how an increase in population directly affects the carbon cycle and the carbon dioxide being released in the atmosphere.”
Population Media Center is an international nonprofit that uses media to educate citizens about reproductive health, education, and gender equity. PMC hopes to explain that the solutions to population growth, which contributes to so many environmental and social challenges, are rooted in enhancing human rights and improving education.
ABOUT POPULATION MEDIA CENTER (PMC):
Population Media Center is a nonprofit leader in entertainment-education, dedicated to women’s rights and empowerment, population stabilization, and the environment. For the past two decades, PMC’s entertainment programming has promoted social and cultural change and has helped 500 million people in more than 50 countries.