Customize a Deliberation for Your School

Looking to bring deliberative dialogue to your school?

With over 50 years of experience in nonpartisan, issue-centered education, Close Up has designed customizable programming to help schools bring deliberative dialogue directly to their students. Using our model of a locally based, two-part deliberation series—an initial facilitation training for student leaders and/or faculty followed by a community-focused deliberation for students—we’ll help you introduce this vital civic practice with your choice of dates, themes, and activities.

Program Overview >

Close Up can come to you!

Our customizable deliberations are based in local communities across the United States, allowing you to choose topics of discussion that meet the interests of your students and the objectives of your school or district. Each deliberation has two parts:

Part 1: Facilitation Training. This two-hour training is designed for a group of 12-15 student leaders or faculty, helping them to develop the skills of a strong, nonpartisan facilitator of deliberative discussions with peers.
Part 2: Large-Group Student Deliberation. Close Up will guide a minimum of 30 students through a two-hour event which includes an introduction to deliberation, small-group deliberations of community issues led by student leaders, and a reflection on the process and its potential use in future contexts.