Civics Matters Arizona

For any concerns leading up to the program, please email CivicsMattersAZ@closeup.org or call (703) 706-3346.

During the program, students should share any needs or concerns with their Program Instructor, who will share the information with all necessary Close Up staff. In addition, Close Up has a 24-hour Emergency Hotline for students to call if they are unable to find a staff member. The number is printed on the student nametag and schedule. If parents need to get in touch with their child or program staff, they can email CivicsMattersAZ@closeup.org or call (703) 706-3346. The email inbox and phone line will be monitored throughout the program.

Program days typically run from 9am to 10pm daily. Students will engage in a variety of experiential, academic, and social activities in both large-group and small-group settings facilitated by Close Up Program Instructors. Students will have the opportunity to explore the nation’s capital and visit important sites such as monuments, memorials, museums, and Capitol Hill.

Students will stay at a hotel in the Washington, DC, metro area. There will be two students per room and each student will have their own bed. Students will be assigned a roommate at registration.

Upon arrival in DC, every student will be assigned to a workshop group that includes one Close Up Program Instructor and 20-25 other students. Each workshop will visit sites together and engage in meaningful discussions about the famous monuments, world-renowned museums, and institutions that define our history.

Close Up will be utilizing its 50 years of experience in programming for high schoolers to oversee the supervision of students. All Close Up instructional staff are college graduates, have received over 120 hours of training, and are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. All of our staff members working with students have undergone criminal background checks and are trained in CPR, AED, and First Aid.

All students must be in their hotel rooms at 10pm for room check. Each night, students are checked into their rooms by Close Up Night Monitors, who are stationed at the hotel overnight for security and to address any needs that arise. Each hotel also has a program staff member who resides at the hotel during the program. They are available in case of an emergency and all students and teachers are provided with the Close Up staff room number and contact information.

Safety is our priority. We are committed to providing a safe, secure, and memorable experience for students from the moment they arrive in DC. All students are accounted for at all times via roll calls at all Close Up-led activities, from breakfast through nightly room check. All staff is professionally trained in emergency situation response, including evacuation procedures from all Close Up activity locations.

Generally, dress is informal. Please be aware that summer in DC can be very hot and humid, so be sure to bring light, comfortable clothing. We also recommend that you pack a good pair of walking shoes. You may also want to pack an umbrella or rain jacket.

No. All expenses, including meals, are covered. Every student will also receive $50 in spending money to purchase souvenirs or additional snacks. If students bring additional spending money, they are responsible for managing their own money.

Each student must bring to Washington, DC, (1) a completed Medical Questionnaire and Consent for Treatment Form that can be found on your Close Up student account, and (2) your health insurance card or a copy of the front and back of the card. You will hand these in at registration on the first day of the program.

Students should bring their own over-the-counter and prescription medication. Students are responsible for managing medications and are responsible for dispensing their own medications during the program. Program staff is not permitted to administer over-the-counter or prescription medication.

Close Up partners with several leading health care providers, including Georgetown University Children’s Medical Center (GUCMC), to ensure that students have access to quality health care should they get sick while on program. As an added precaution, Close Up program staff is trained in CPR, AED, and First Aid, as well as fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Specific details concerning Close Up COVID-19 protocols can be found here.