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Explore our experiential civics programs!
Since 1971, more than one million students and educators have participated in Close Up programs. Our mission is to inspire young people to find their unique voice and help them develop the skills and awareness they need to be engaged citizens for life.
Join us to make lasting memories as you interact with the people, places, and institutions that shape our nation, and discover how your voice can make an impact on American democracy.

Join us for a NextGen Roundtable deliberation!
Are you looking to build students’ civil discourse skills ahead of the 2026 midterm elections? In this year of America’s 250th birthday, Close Up is engaging youth nationwide through our national and local NextGen Roundtable deliberations for students and professional development workshops for educators!
As a government teacher, it’s nice to have more resources…
for teaching media literacy and having students critically think about the information they receive.
Close Up brought me CLOSER to politics…
the entire notion no longer seemed obscure. I became very involved in politics on the local and national level.
I learned that there’s a huge network of people with the same goals and drive as me…
and that our collaboration really could make a difference. It gave me hope for the future of our communities and our nation!
Close Up is a positive experience for students…
seeing themselves as having the power to influence the democratic process.