Step into history with the Close Up Washington Program, where students meet the people and institutions shaping our democracy and discover the stories behind our nation’s past and present. #NextStop #CloseUpDC

Don’t miss this chance to prepare your students for an experience they’ll never forget. Register now at .

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Close Up is also offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience celebrating America’s 250th anniversary!. From D.C. to Philly, students will explore iconic sites, connect with the roots of democracy, and forge friendships to last a lifetime. #America250.

Through this experience, students left with sharpened leadership skills, deeper civic knowledge, and a renewed commitment to advocating for their communities.

The week culminated in student presentations held in the Kennedy Room of the Rayburn House Office Building, where participants met with policymakers to share Sovereignty Statements and Tribal Action Initiatives, directly intervening on the critical issues of their generation.

This year, Native American students from tribes across the country came together in Washington, D.C., for the Native Youth Summit, a powerful, week-long experience focused on Tribal sovereignty, civic action, and Indigenous leadership.

RT @CivxNow: Civic education should start in elementary and middle school, argues Samuel J. Abrams of the @SutherlandInst. Learn more about….

@NatlParkService These stewards of our national story play a vital role in helping participants connect the past with the opportunities and challenges we face today. Thank you!

@NatlParkService Their expertise, dedication, and ability to bring history to life create transformative experiences for educators and civic leaders on Close Up Teacher Program.

We want to extend our deepest thanks to the @NatlParkService staff at the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House and Frederick Douglass National Historic Site for their exceptional guidance during our Teacher Program electives this year!

. Vice Chairman of the Prince George’s County Board of Education Jonathan Briggs for leading an in-depth seminar on college readiness, and to the PGCPS community for empowering the next generation of young citizens!

Special thanks to the @UofMaryland for hosting our workshops, @RepGlennIvey for taking time out of his legislative schedule to meet these students in person.

Throughout the week, students explored the foundations of democracy, honed their persuasive writing and speaking skills, and built confidence as changemakers in their communities.

We rounded out our June programming by welcoming middle and high school students from Prince George's County Public Schools to the Civic Leaders program: a five-day summer civics experience co-hosted by Close Up and @pgcps.

RT @NAISnetwork: Join NAIS and @CloseUp_DC for the 2026 NAIS Student Civic Leadership Summit—a transformative four-day experience in Washin….

This Fourth of July, we celebrate not only the principles that gave rise to our nation, but the next generation of citizens working to carry them forward.

In doing so, students return to their communities inspired, informed, and empowered to be active participants from right where they stand.

From Colonial Williamsburg to the National Archives in DC to Independence Hall in Philadelphia, we guide middle and high school students through the places and ideas that shaped our democracy, and the memorials and landmarks that honor the visionaries who helped build it.

As we celebrate Independence Day, Close Up is honored to create civic-based travel experiences that help students engage with powerful concepts like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in fun, memorable, and deeply meaningful ways.

The Close Up Civil Discourse Credential, in partnership with @MastTranscript, is aimed at equipping high school students with essential civic skills: analytical thinking, media literacy, and the ability to productively engage with multiple perspectives.