2026 3rd Prize Middle School Division – “ Fighting for Equality: from Exclusion to Justice” by Noah Chung

 8th grade student Noah Chung from Toby Johnson Middle School in Elk Grove, California who won 3rd Prize in the Middle School Division of the 2026 C-SPAN StudentCam documentary competition for his video titled, “Fighting for Equality: from Exclusion to Justice,” about the enduring impact of the Declaration of Independence by examining how its promise of equality was tested during the Chinese Exclusion Act, a key moment in America’s 250-year history. As a 3rd Prize winner, Noah receives $750 in prize money.

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. 2026 marked the 22nd year of the competition and in this semiquincentennial year celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we asked students in grades 6-12 to create a short (5:00-6:00 minute) video documentary on either a historical or contemporary topic that related to the competition theme, “America’s 250th Anniversary”
Exploring the American Story through the Declaration of Independence.

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

Press:

• Press Release: Sacramento & Elk Grove Students Win Prizes in C-SPAN’s National Documentary Competition (Google Doc)