Population Education, a program of Population Connection, provides K-12 teachers with innovative, hands-on lesson plans and professional development to teach about human population growth and its effects on the environment and human well-being.

Population Education staff at the 2019 NCSS exhibit booth

Population Education is all about people – how many of us there are, how we shape the world, and how we interact with each other. And as the go-to program providing innovative lesson plans and professional development on human population growth and its effects, Population Education supports K-12 teachers across content areas.

Our human population has grown from 1 billion to 8 billion in just over 200 years and is expected to grow through this century. In the face of such growth, it is critical to examine human impacts on wildlife, climate and natural resources, while working toward equality and justice for the world’s people.

How We Make a Difference for Teachers and Students

Established in 1975, the program has earned a reputation for educational excellence. Through memorable, standards-aligned classroom activities like simulations, cooperative challenges, and debate, Population Education inspires students to tackle a variety of real-world problems and to become positively engaged in their communities as the next generation of leaders and policy makers. Population Education’s top-notch facilitators train over 12,000 educators annually in North America through interactive workshops.

PopEd Funding

Population Education has over 40,000 funders – the members of Population Connection! That’s right, as part of a member-based organization, the majority of PopEd’s funds come from individual contributors who choose to support educating youth about population and sustainability. PopEd does not accept government funds or money from corporations. A small part of PopEd’s budget is grant funding from family foundations.

About Population Connection

Population Connection (formerly ZPG), founded in 1968, is the largest grassroots population organization in the United States with 500,000 members, supporters and participating educators. The organization aims to educate young people and advocate progressive action to stabilize world population at a level that can be sustained by Earth’s resources. More information about Population Connection can be found at www.popconnect.org.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Population Education, as a part of Population Connection, is committed to the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), since they are fundamental to our work. Read our DEIJ Commitment Statement, Definitions, and Strategic Pillars.