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. 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of the competition and we invited middle and high school students to create a short documentary addressing the theme, “Looking Forward while Considering the Past.”
10th grade students Nate Colman & Jonah Rothlein from Weston High School in Connecticut won Grand Prize for their documentary, “Innocents Held Hostage: Navigating Past and Future Conflicts with Iran.” As our 2024 Grand Prize winners, the two will receive $5,000 in prize money.
C-SPAN is funded by America’s cable and satellite television companies, who also support StudentCam. In Weston, C-SPAN is available locally through Optimum.
“Optimum is proud to continue its partnership with C-SPAN, an organization that has served as a catalyst for two decades inspiring young minds to think critically about issues that are important to them,” said Jen Ostrager, Senior Vice President at Optimum. “We thank all students in our footprint for their hard work in submitting thoughtful entries and are thrilled to have 13 winners this year, including a grand prize winner. Congratulations to the winning students on this incredible achievement!”
Press:
- Press Release: Weston Students Win Grand Prize in C-SPAN’s National Video Documentary Competition (Google Doc)
- Article: Weston Students Win C-SPAN Award (Weston Today)
- Article: Weston High School students win C-SPAN competition for hostage documentary (CT Insider – Westport News)
StudentCam 2024 Grand Prize: "Innocents Held Hostage"
Congratulatory Messages and Recognition
Congratulatory Message – New York Times White House Correspondent Michael Shear
