KNOXVILLE - Students at Hardin Valley Academy are winners in C-SPAN’s national 2016 StudentCam competition. Sophia LaSorsa and Mikaela Chavis, sophomores, have won Third Prize and will receive $750 for their documentary, "Racial Injustice."

The national competition, now in its 12th year, invites middle school (grades 6-8) and high school students (grades 9-12) to produce a five-to-seven minute documentary on a national policy issue.

This year, students used video cameras to address the theme, “Road to the White House: what's the issue YOU most want candidates to discuss during the 2016 presidential campaign?” In response, C-SPAN received a record 2,887 video submissions from almost 6,000 students in 45 states and Washington, DC.

“With the presidential campaign in the forefront of people's minds, we wanted to hear from students across the country about the issues that matter to them," said Craig McAndrew, C-SPAN's Manager of Education Relations. "StudentCam provides these young people, many of whom are too young to vote, with a platform to express their opinions and have their voices heard."

C-SPAN is funded by America’s cable television companies, which support StudentCam. In Knoxville, C-SPAN is available locally through Comcast.

"Comcast is proud to partner with C-SPAN on their annual StudentCam documentary competition and we congratulate our local winners from Hardin Valley Academy for their national academic achievement," said Russell Byrd, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Comcast. "In the midst of a presidential election year, it is important for students to make their voices heard on the issues that are important to them, their community, and our nation."

These winners are among 332 students from across the country winning a total of $100,000, including one Grand Prize winner, four First Prize winners, 16 Second Prize winners, 32 Third Prize winners and 97 Honorable Mentions.

Published March 12, 2016