Celebrating the 20th anniversary with additional $50,000 in adviser prizes and a two-prompt theme “Looking Forward while Considering the Past” Awarding $150,000 in cash prizes to students and teachers
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2023 — C-SPAN’s StudentCam, now in its 20th year, invites students from around the country to participate in the nationally recognized documentary competition.
This year, student filmmakers should explore one of two prompts:
A) In the next 20 years, what is the most important change that you would like to see in America?
Detail a specific issue that is important to you and the evolution of related policies, laws, and actions that you want to see in the future.
– OR –
B) Over the past 20 years, what has been the most important change in America?
Examine a specific law, event, or invention, explain its impact and why you consider it important.
This project-based learning experience allows students to explore an issue or concern that impacts them and consider how to address the topic through multiple perspectives. C-SPAN and its cable and satellite television partners invite middle and high school student filmmakers of all levels to enter the documentary contest.
The C-SPAN Education Foundation annually awards 150 student and 53 teacher cash prizes, totaling $100,000. The grand-prize winner will receive $5,000, and multiple cash prizes of $3,000, $1,500, $750 and $250 will be awarded to students in first, second and third places, as well as honorable mention categories. This year in honor of the 20th anniversary, C-SPAN is offering an additional $50,000 in award money. The first 500 teachers with qualifying student entries will receive a $100 cash award. For additional details, visit
“For two decades now, the StudentCam competition has provided enterprising students with an opportunity to think critically about topics of national importance and creatively express their opinions with the world,” said Craig McAndrew, director of C-SPAN Education Relations. “With this year’s theme offering a choice of either looking to the future, or considering a topic in retrospect, our judges are excited to hear a wide variety of perspectives about what is important to this next generation of rising stars.”
Competition Guidelines
- Middle school students (grades 6-8) and high school students (grades 9-12) may compete individually or in teams composed of two or three members.
- Documentaries must be the original work of students; however, teachers may provide guidance and critiques.
- All documentaries must include C-SPAN video clips that support the chosen topic and are used effectively.
- StudentCam documentaries should comprehensively represent a variety of viewpoints related to the chosen topic, including those that may oppose the filmmakers’ points of view.
- Documentaries must be between 5 and 6 minutes in length.
- Entries must include sources, either in the end credits or an emailed works cited list.
- Video submissions and entry forms can be uploaded directly online at
- The deadline for students to submit entries is midnight PST, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.
The documentaries will be judged by a panel of C-SPAN representatives. Middle school students will be judged on a national basis. High school students will compete on a regional level, with the United States divided into three regions: West, Central and East. The grand-prize winner with the best overall entry will be selected nationally from both middle and high school entries.
Winners will be announced in March 2024, with the top winning videos to air on C-SPAN in April 2024. Competition details are available at
Students and teachers can stay up to date with StudentCam on X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook and TikTok @studentcam and on Instagram @cspanstudentcam.
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 Constitution Clips and On This Day in History events, plus short current events videos, lesson plans and bell ringers. 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 X, formerly known as Twitter and Facebook.
About C-SPAN:
C-SPAN, the public affairs network providing Americans with unfiltered access to congressional proceedings, was created in 1979 as a public service by the cable television industry and is now funded through fees paid by cable and satellite companies that provide C-SPAN programming. C‑SPAN connects with millions of Americans through its three commercial-free TV networks C-SPAN Radio, C-SPAN Podcasts, the C-SPAN Now app, C-SPAN.org and various social media platforms. The network’s video-rich website contains over 270,000 hours of searchable and shareable content. Engage with C-SPAN on X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and stay connected through weekly and daily newsletters.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
