2026 2nd Prize High School Central Division – “Built Unequal: Black Women, Birth, and America” by Zara Kanjwal & Sarah Zhang

11th graders Zara Kanjwal & Sarah Zhang from International Academy Central in Bloomfield Township, Michigan won 2nd Prize in the High School Central division for their documentary, “Built Unequal: Black Women, Birth, and America.” As 2nd Prize winners, the duo will share $1,500 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 Bloomfield Township, C-SPAN is available locally through Comcast.

Press:

• Press Release: Detroit Area Students Win Prizes in C-SPAN’s National Documentary Competition (Google Doc)
  
  
• Article: Metro-Detroit students win prizes in national C-SPAN competition (SocialHouseNews)