Narragansett High School Students Win Prize in C-SPAN Documentary Competition

NARRAGANSETT, RI — Three Narragansett High School students received awards in C-SPAN's national documentary competition.

Alexander Greenberg, Patrick Sabatino and Connor Haring were honorable mention prize winners in C-SPAN’s national 2023 StudentCam competition and will receive $250 for the documentary, "A Plastic Bay," about microplastics.

C-SPAN, in cooperation with its cable television partners, asked middle and high school students to engage in a national conversation on the challenges the U.S. is facing with the theme: "If you were a newly elected member of Congress, which issue would be your first priority and why?"

Now in its 19th year, this project-based learning experience gives students the opportunity to explore multiple perspectives on topics that are important to them and consider solutions to address them. In response, nearly 3,000 students participated, and C-SPAN received more than 1,500 entries from 40 states, Washington, D.C. and Abu Dhabi. The most popular topics addressed were:

• Health Care (16 percent)
• Environment (14 percent)
• Education (12 percent)
• Economy (10 percent)
• Gun violence and firearm policy (8 percent).

"For the first time in the history of the competition, we asked students to envision themselves in a position of power, as newly elected members of Congress," Craig McAndrew, director of C-SPAN Education Relations said. "As each participant considered which issue would be their first priority and why, they creatively wove detailed research with expert interviews and proposed actions to address their concerns. Capitalizing on the platform of short film, these passionate young people masterfully showcased the fruits of active learning, and we are excited to share their work with the country."

The 150 winning videos can be viewed on the competition's website. Videos were evaluated by a panel of educators and C-SPAN representatives based on the examination of the competition’s theme, quality of expression, inclusion of varying sides of the documentary’s topic, and effective incorporation of C-SPAN programming.