Today C-SPAN announced that students in Sacramento and Elk Grove, California are winners in C-SPAN’s national 2023 StudentCam competition.

Aditya Parekh, Matthew Fields and Owen Provencher, students at Inderkum High School in Sacramento, will receive $750 as third prize winners for the documentary, "The Cost to Survive," about healthcare affordability.

Jade Goodwin and Kiana Ganaway, students at Natomas Charter School in Sacramento, will receive $250 as honorable mention prize winners for the documentary, "The Global Dilemma," about climate change.

Tanaya Safi, Pranav Saravanan and Harshvir Gill, students at Natomas Charter School, will receive $250 as honorable mention prize winners for the documentary, "Financial Education: A Real Life Skill?"

David Nguyen-Bui, Isaac Bibayoff and Vincent Yao, students at Natomas Charter School, will receive $250 as honorable mention prize winners for the documentary, "Pesticides...The Consequential Truth."

Kallista Torres, Suhani Hazari and Noelani Cano, students at Franklin High School in Elk Grove, will receive $250 as honorable mention prize winners for the documentary, "Housing and Real Estate Inflation."

C-SPAN, in cooperation with its cable television partners, asked middle and high school students to engage in a national conversation on the challenges our country is facing with the theme: "If you were a newly elected member of Congress, which issue would be your first priority and why?"

Now in its 19th year, this project-based learning experience gives students the opportunity to explore multiple perspectives on topics that are important to them and consider solutions to address them. In response, nearly 3,000 students participated, and C-SPAN received over 1,500 entries from 40 states, Washington, D.C. and Abu Dhabi. The most popular topics addressed were:

  • Health Care (16%)
  • Environment (14%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Economy (10%)
  • Gun Violence and Firearm Policy (8%)

"For the first time in the history of the competition, we asked students to envision themselves in a position of power, as newly elected members of Congress," said Craig McAndrew, director of C-SPAN Education Relations. "As each participant considered which issue would be their first priority and why, they creatively wove detailed research with expert interviews and proposed actions to address their concerns. Capitalizing on the platform of short film, these passionate young people masterfully showcased the fruits of active learning, and we are excited to share their work with the country."

C-SPAN is funded by America’s cable television companies, who also support StudentCam. In Sacramento and Elk Grove, C-SPAN is available locally through Comcast.

"Comcast is honored to be continuing our long-standing partnership with C-SPAN and StudentCam, working to grow middle and high school students’ interest and engagement in the political process," said Beth Hester, Vice President of External Affairs at Comcast California. "A huge congratulations to the local winners for representing California. Your hard work and creativity make us proud."

More than 300 students from across the country are winning a total of $100,000. C-SPAN is awarding one grand prize, 4 first prizes, 16 second prizes, 32 third prizes and 97 honorable mention prizes. The winning videos will receive cash awards of $5,000, $3,000, $1,500, $750 and $250, respectively.

High school students competed on a regional level, with the United States divided into three regions: West, Central and East. Middle school students were judged on a national basis. The grand prize winner was selected nationally among all regions and grade levels.

The 150 winning videos can be viewed at www.studentcam.org and may be used in a broadcast with attribution to C-SPAN. To schedule an interview with one or more of the winning students, please contact Pam McGorry at pmcgorry@c-span.org.

The annual StudentCam competition is sponsored by the C-SPAN Education Foundation. Videos were evaluated by a panel of educators and C-SPAN representatives based on the thoughtful examination of the competition’s theme, quality of expression, inclusion of varying sides of the documentary’s topic, and effective incorporation of C-SPAN programming.


About C-SPAN Classroom:

C-SPAN Classroom uses the network's programs on public affairs, coverage of Congress, nonfiction books and American history to create FREE digital tools for teachers, students, and the public to use in classrooms, in projects or for research. C-SPAN Classroom’s website provides social studies teachers with access to thousands of free resources, including short current events videos, Lesson Plans and Bell Ringers, plus Constitution Clips and On This Day in History events. The education team also hosts the biweekly C-SPAN in the Classroom Podcast, available on the C-SPAN Now app or wherever you listen to podcasts. Engage with C-SPAN Classroom on Twitter and Facebook.


About C-SPAN:

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