Over the past two decades, C-SPAN's annual amateur StudentCam documentary competition has been a catalyst for inspiring young minds to think critically about issues that are important to them. The competition has provided a platform for students to voice their perspectives, research and discuss their topics with experts, and develop storytelling techniques that convey their messages effectively. With the support of our cable partners, C-SPAN is proud to be a small part of helping to empower this next generation with the tools they need to become informed and active citizens.

Since our first year of the competition back in 2004, the landscape of video production software and equipment has undergone a remarkable evolution, transforming the ways in which all of us can creatively express and share edited videos.

In the early years of the C-SPAN StudentCam documentary competition, students primarily relied on cumbersome handheld camcorders and analog editing equipment, facing limitations in terms of accessibility, editing capabilities and exorbitant equipment costs. Many students would share cameras made available by their schools or local libraries. Students would submit their documentaries in a wide variety of ways, such as VHS tapes and CD-ROMs.

With the advent and prevalence of increasingly affordable digital technology in the late 2000s, the rise of compact cameras and editing software like Windows Movie Maker and iMovie, which were included as part of most computer operating systems, enabled more students to delve into video production for the first time. In 2010, StudentCam moved from having students submit physical copies of their work, to uploading them digitally to a database. By digitizing uploads, we simplified and expedited the judging process - and just in time!  That year, we saw an explosion - from having several hundred students participate in earlier years of the competition - to over two thousand students participating in 2010.

The subsequent rise of smartphones equipped with increasingly high-definition cameras and video editing capabilities has further equalized accessibility for all, with the integration of cloud-based storage now allowing for seamless and intuitive sharing and editing of video. These changes have fostered new possibilities for collaboration between students across geographical boundaries, and have provided the ability for them to easily work on their project from school, home or wherever they may be.  Adding to that, the rise in familiarity and use of video conferencing software like Zoom allowed students to collaborate easily during the Coronavirus pandemic. Students are also now using that same technology to speak with experts around the globe to garner insight on their chosen subjects and add further credibility to their documentaries.

As judges of the StudentCam competition, we have witnessed first-hand the remarkable democratization of technology that is empowering students across the globe as they unleash their creativity. C-SPAN StudentCam provides a platform for students to voice their opinions on the issues that are important to them, and affect our world.

Craig McAndrew, Pam McGorry, and Dr. Zach Lowe, PhD

C-SPAN's Education Team