Four-time StudentCam prize winner Ben Kurian from Olentangy Liberty High School in Powell, Ohio won 1st Prize in the High School Central Division of the 2026 C-SPAN StudentCam documentary competition for his video titled, “A Right to Health,” about health care. As a 1st Prize winner, Ben collects $3,000 in prize money.
Watch Ben’s previous award winning documentaries here.
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 Powell, C-SPAN is available locally through Spectrum.
Press:
- Press Release: Powell Students Win Prizes in C-SPAN’s National Documentary Competition (Google Doc)
- Article: Kurian wins C-SPAN contest again (Delaware Gazette)
StudentCam 2026 1st Prize: "A Right to Health"
Congratulatory Messages and Recognition
Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff
Yale School of Public Health Professor Dr. Kaveh Khoshnood
Powell, Ohio Mayor Heather Karr
Olentangy Schools Superintendent Todd R. Meyer and Board of Education President Brandon Lester
Written by studentcam
Recent Posts
- 2026 1st Prize High School Central Division – “A Right to Health” by Ben Kurian
- 2026 1st Prize High School Eastern Division – “Roots of Freedom: The Struggles and Tensions of Rural American Agriculture” by Kessler Dickerson & Charlotte Ligon
- 2026 1st Prize High School Western Division – “Dreamers Deferred: The American Dream On Hold” by Tanaya Safi & Juhie Parikh
- 2026 1st Prize Middle School Division – “This Is What Democracy Looks Like” by Harper Haden & Helena de la Houssaye
- 2026 2nd Prize High School Central Division – “Against the Silence” by Chase Petersen