2022 Grand Prize – “What Happened to Gibson Grove?”

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. The competition, now in its 18th year, invited all middle and high school students to enter by producing a short documentary asking students to explore a federal policy or program and address the theme: “How does the federal government impact your life?”

7th grade students Dermott Foley & Tyler Foley from Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring, Maryland won the 2022 StudentCam Grand Prize award for their documentary on the Federal Highway Act of 1956, racial injustice and the fight to save America’s black cemeteries, “What Happened to Gibson Grove?” As this year’s Grand Prize winners, the duo has won $5,000 in prize money.

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

“We are inspired to hear directly from students about the government programs and policies they feel are most impactful to their generation, including how they affect our local communities,” said Misty Allen, VP of Government and Regulatory Affairs for Comcast’s Beltway Region. “Comcast is proud to continue our partnership with C-SPAN on StudentCam and we congratulate this year’s winning students on an outstanding achievement.”

More Information:

• Press Release: Silver Spring Students Win Prizes in C-SPAN Video Documentary Competition (Google Doc)
• Article: ‘We had something to say’: Maryland middle schoolers win national documentary competition (WAMU 88.5)
• Article: DC-area students win C-SPAN contest, will have documentaries aired nationwide (WTOP News)
• Article: DC-area students win C-SPAN contest, will have documentaries aired nationwide (News of Finance World)
• Article: DC-area students win C-SPAN competition, to broadcast nationwide documentary (TodayNation)
• Article: Silver Spring School Dominates National Documentary Competition (The Washington Informer)
• Infographic: Dermott Foley & Tyler Foley (JPEG)