Bedford Sixth Grader Wins Global Video Contest

Bedford Middle School sixth grader Katherine Rose Li won first place in the middle school economics category of the 2025-2026 World of 8 Billion student video contest, according to Westport Public Schools and the contest’s winners page. Winners were announced on May 19, and Li’s video, “Hanging by a Thread,” was recognized for addressing fast fashion and its environmental effects. The annual competition is sponsored by Population Connection’s Population Education program and asks students in grades 6 through 12 to produce a 60-second public service announcement tied to population growth and a global issue. (bms.westportps.org) This year’s contest drew nearly or more than 5,000 entries from 63 countries, according to contest organizers and the school district. (populationeducation.org) ### Who is the student and what did she win? Katherine Rose Li, a sixth grader at Bedford Middle School in Westport, took the top middle school prize in economics in the 2025-2026 contest, Westport Public Schools said. The official winners page lists her school and identifies “Hanging by a Thread” as the first-place middle school economics entry. The World of 8 Billion contest is open to students in grades 6 through 12 worldwide, according to Population Education. Students are asked to create short videos connecting human population growth to one of three annual topics; for 2025-2026, those topics were energy, wetlands and economics. (bms.westportps.org) ### What was “Hanging by a Thread” about? Li’s video focused on fast fashion, which Bedford Middle School described as a growing problem tied to cheap clothing ending up in landfills and open spaces. The school said her project proposed biodegradable fabrics as part of a more sustainable future. (bms.westportps.org) “All over the world, people like to purchase cheap clothes that end up piled in landfills and open spaces,” Katherine Rose said in the school announcement. “If people continue to make these small decisions, it makes it worse around the globe.” (populationeducation.org) ### How large was the competition? Population Education said nearly 5,000 students from 63 countries and 45 U.S. states and territories created videos for the competition. Westport Public Schools described the field as more than 5,000 student entries from 63 countries around the world. The two accounts use slightly different totals, but both describe an international contest with thousands of submissions. (bms.westportps.org) The winners page shows Li competing in a category that also included middle school global finalists from California, Texas and New York, while other economics winners came from Canada, Illinois, Georgia and Connecticut. (bms.westportps.org) ### What did school and contest leaders say? John Seager, president of Population Connection, said in the Bedford announcement that “it takes real skill to communicate a persuasive message in just one minute about urgent problems facing our growing world.” He said the students explained complex issues clearly and thought creatively about building “a more sustainable future.” (populationeducation.org) Dr. Adam Rosen, principal of Bedford Middle School, called Li’s finish “an outstanding accomplishment” and said she communicated “a complex global issue” with “clarity, creativity, and purpose.” Sean Murphy, her teacher, said he was most impressed by her ability to connect “economic, environmental, and ethical considerations” in a “solution-oriented presentation.” (worldof8billion.org) ### What comes next for Li and for the contest? As the first-place winner in her category, Li will receive a $600 prize, and her video will be featured on the World of 8 Billion website, according to Westport Public Schools. (bms.westportps.org) Population Education said the contest will return with new topics for the 2026-2027 school year in early September, when teachers can sign up for updates and students can begin preparing new entries.