These South Jersey students won a national C-SPAN award for new documentary

The United States of America is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which was historically the unofficial start of the Revolutionary War against what was known then as the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Even though the US Constitution was ratified 12 years later, 1776 was a turning point in world history that changed how future oppressed people would handle political and civil inequalities. This is why C-SPAN ran a National Documentary Competition to encourage Middle and High School students to explore "The American Story through the Declaration of Independence".

Three South Jersey High School Students earn National Recognition

C-SPAN announced in a press release that three students from Egg Harbor Township High School will receive an award through C-SPAN’s annual StudentCam documentary competition.

“As we recognize America's 250th anniversary, this year's StudentCam participants masterfully documented important political as well as societal issues and key moments from our nation's history through compelling videos that highlight the values and enduring legacy of the Declaration of Independence,” said C-SPAN’s Director of Education Relations Craig McAndrew in the press release. “Each of their prize-winning videos is sure to spark meaningful reflections among viewers across the country and inspire future generations of filmmakers. On behalf of everyone at C-SPAN, congratulations to the exceptionally gifted young people who triumphed in the 22nd annual competition!”

EHT High School Students Aerick Mallari, Carter Chew, and Paige Pacquing were awarded $250 for producing the documentary Unfiltered: The Right They Tried To Silence. This 6-minute film describes a survey in which a majority of the people the students spoke to admitted they believe their Freedom of Speech is being directly or indirectly censored.

The short documentary tells "fictionalized stories" of anonymous people's experiences having their words and actions either censored, questioned, or restricted. The EHT students' film features interviews with Egg Harbor Township Mayor Laura Pfrommer, Knight First Amendment Institute Staff Attorney Jennifer Jones, and Mary Beth Tinker, who was part of the landmark Tinker v. Des Moines Supreme Court case.

This is one of 150 award-winning student documentaries, and any of them may be used on C-SPAN TV platforms for programming. Created in 1979, the private nonprofit public affairs media organization is best known for broadcasting government public hearings, and broadcasting educational programming.