StudentCam is C-SPAN’s annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation. Each year, StudentCam asks students to respond to a specific theme in a 5-6 minute documentary-style video. In 2025, the theme is: “Your Message to the President: What issue is most important to you or your community? Examine your selected topic from multiple perspectives and assess what action(s) the president should take after Inauguration Day.”
Each year C-SPAN awards a total of $100,000 in cash prizes to the student filmmakers of the top 150 student documentaries, as well as the teacher advisers of the top 50 documentaries.
Prizes are awarded in four separate categories: Middle School & High School-East, High School-Central, and High School-West.
Location(s)
- Remote
Schedule
- January
Cost/Compensation
- Free
Eligibility Requirements
- All students in grades 6-12
- Students may compete individually or in teams of 2-3
- All documentaries must include clips of C-SPAN videos that relate to the topic
- Documentaries must be between 5 and 6 minutes in length
- Entries must include either end credits or a works cited list
Deadline
- January 20, 2025
Application or Entry Requirements
- Completed entry form
- Link to video
Notifications of Decisions
Financial Aid Details
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
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C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) is a private, nonprofit American television network that provides unfiltered coverage of U.S. government proceedings and public affairs programming. Founded in 1979 by the cable television industry, C-SPAN broadcasts live sessions of the U.S. House of Representatives and, since 1986, the U.S. Senate, along with congressional hearings, press briefings, campaign events, and discussions on policy and history. The network operates multiple TV channels and radio services, as well as an extensive online video archive, and is funded by cable and satellite affiliates without government support.
