WASHINGTON
Jianna Martinez, Thuy Nguyen and Charisma St. Cyr, students at Somerset Academy Charter High in Homestead, Florida, are 2024 honorable mention prize winners in C-SPAN’s 20th annual StudentCam competition and will receive $250 for the documentary, “What are We Breathing? The Price of Industrialization.”
Now in its 20th year, this project-based learning experience gives students the opportunity to explore multiple perspectives on topics that are important to them. In response, over 3,200 students participated, and C-SPAN received over 1,600 entries from 42 states and Washington, D.C. The most popular topics addressed were:
- Artificial Intelligence, Technology, and Social Media (18%)
- Abortion, Health Care, and Mental Health (17%)
- Climate, Energy & Land Use, and Pollution (13%)
- School Safety, Gun Policy, and Criminal Justice (11%)
- Economy, School Funding, and Homelessness (8%)
“In recognition of the 20th anniversary of C-SPAN’s StudentCam competition, this year we asked students to either look 20 years into the future or to reflect on a topic of importance to them and its past,” said Craig McAndrew, director of C-SPAN Education Relations. “Students have skillfully blended their perspectives with in-depth research and an array of expert interviews, and we are thrilled to share their accomplishments with their local communities, and the nation.”
C-SPAN is funded by America’s cable television companies, who also support StudentCam. In Homestead, C-SPAN is available locally through Comcast.
“For two decades now, StudentCam has proven to be a great platform for young critical minds across the country to share their voices on issues that are important to them. At Comcast we are proud to be part of a legacy that encourages our youth to be active and informed members of society,” said Michelle Oyola McGovern, Comcast’s VP of Government Affairs for the Florida region. “I’d like to congratulate Jianna, Charisma and Thuy on this outstanding achievement in this year’s competition. Keep up the good work!”
In honor of the 20th year of the competition, C-SPAN is gifting educators an additional $50,000, for a total of $150,000 in student and teacher cash prizes and awards. More than 300 students and 200 teachers from across the country are winning participants. 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.
Over the course of two decades, C-SPAN has awarded more than $1.5 million in prizes. Since 2004, over 63,000 students and 20,000 teachers have participated in the competition. StudentCam has been a catalyst for inspiring young minds to think critically about issues that are important to them and has empowered them with the tools they need to become informed, civically engaged citizens.
High School students competed regionally in one of 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 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 [email protected].
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.
