#United States #Alexandria #Negative Population Growth #NPG Scholarships #Overpopulation Awareness

NPG Awards $50,000 in Scholarships

Negative Population Growth (NPG) has announced its scholarship recipients for the 2025-2026 academic year, distributing a total of $50,000 in awards to aid students in their educational pursuits. Twenty-two students from various academic backgrounds have been honored for their original written advertisements that highlighted the challenges posed by overpopulation in the United States. The contest aimed to not only encourage creativity among students but also to promote awareness of an issue that has significant implications for the future of our planet.

The annual Written Advertisement Scholarship Contest required participants to craft a persuasive advertisement ranging from 100 to 200 words. These entries were evaluated based on their effectiveness in communicating the dire consequences of overpopulation, which include environmental degradation, exhaustion of natural resources, dilapidation of infrastructure, and economic strain. The students were tasked with not just highlighting these issues but also advocating for programs that aim to mitigate or reverse the rising U.S. population growth.

In the graduate category, Duc Thinh Nguyen, a student at Cornell University, was awarded the prestigious Donald W. Mann Memorial Scholarship for Population Studies, receiving a $5,000 prize for his exemplary submission. His work stood out in a contest that attracted numerous talented individuals eager to voice their perspectives on population dynamics.

One of the notable aspects of this year's competition was the special recognition given to Edwin S. Rubenstein, NPG's Director of Research, who passed away shortly before the final decisions were made. In his honor, the organizations bestowed the grand prize of the 2025 Undergraduate Written Advertisement Contest to Samay Shah from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. Samay's work earned him $3,500.

The scholarship program reflects NPG's long-standing commitment to educating youth about the potential repercussions of unchecked population growth. Since its inception in 2006, the NPG Youth Outreach program has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to students who articulate the importance of addressing overpopulation.

Additional notable winners include Christina Maria Louka from Columbia Business School, who received $3,000, and other graduate students from various institutions were awarded eight $2,000 scholarships for their insightful entries. Among the undergraduate recipients, Parshv Manishkumar Patel from the University of California, Berkeley won $2,500, while ten recipients each earned $2,000 for their contributions.

This year’s initiative is part of a broader strategy by NPG to engage America's youth in discussions about the future they will inherit. The organization emphasizes that understanding overpopulation's direct effects is crucial for the next generation, urging their leaders to recognize and implement responsible policies to address this daunting challenge.

NPG also collaborates with educators nationwide, providing resources to facilitate discussions on population issues in classrooms. The support for these educational initiatives comes from NPG members who share a vision for achieving a sustainable world for future generations.

Founded in 1972, NPG has been relentless in its efforts to inform both the general public and policymakers about the consequences of overpopulation. The organization advocates for policies intended to stabilize the U.S. population at sustainable levels, continuously aiming to align population trends with environmental resources.

For more information on their mission and the ongoing scholarship opportunities, interested parties can visit NPG's official website, or follow NPG on social media platforms like Facebook and X for updates on their activities and initiatives.