671 N. Glebe Road, Suite 900
Arlington, VA 22203
703-706-3300 or 800-CLOSE UP
CST-1002082-40:
Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.
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As young people come of age in an era of political polarization, Close Up is committed to helping them understand policy issues from multiple perspectives and make informed decisions about how to best solve those issues in the interests of all. To that end, we were proud to partner with the City of Dallas and the Dallas Youth Commission (DYC)—a group of civically engaged students giving voice to youth issues—for this April’s NextGen Roundtable: Dallas Youth Summit.
We gathered 250 high school students from across the Dallas Metroplex to deliberate local issues using data from a recent DYC survey featuring over 5,000 student responses to inform their discussions. Participants collaborated in small groups, listened to and weighed diverse perspectives, and crafted a vision statement for creating positive action in their community.
Now, we’re highlighting the opinions and priorities of these Dallas students through an impact report to be published this summer. Fill out our interest form below to learn more and be among the first to receive the results!
Date and Time: April 24, 2025 | 8:30am-3:45pm
Location: Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas
Participant Eligibility: The summit was open to high school students who live in the City of Dallas. We recommended that students participate in school cohorts of approximately 5-10 students.
Cost: There was no cost to participate.
Support: NextGen Roundtable: Dallas Youth Summit was made possible by the generous support of The Hersh Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, and Kathy and Harlan Crow. Their dedication to fostering meaningful conversations and driving positive change has been instrumental in bringing this event to life. To learn how you can support Close Up’s mission, please reach out to us at support@closeup.org.
8:30am Welcome and Registration
9:30am Opening Remarks
9:45am Deliberation and Consensus Building: Explore the goals of deliberation and review the DYC survey results to prepare for group discussions.
10:30am Issue Group Deliberations: Deliberate on one of five issue areas: homelessness, climate change, public & school safety, public transportation, or civic engagement. Consider the priorities of decision-makers and examine various policies to address the issues.
12:00pm Lunch
12:45pm Panel with Local Policymakers and Government Officials: Build a deeper understanding of local government and identify stakeholders and decision-makers on a variety of public issues.
2:00pm Issue Group Deliberations: Continue to deliberate on your issue, create a vision statement for addressing the issue, and decide how you want to represent the group’s decisions to all participants.
3:15pm Vision Statement Presentations: Present your vision statements, reflect on the value of deliberation, and consider opportunities for engagement in the future. All participants will be invited to become Close Up Civic Ambassadors.
3:45pm End of Event
671 N. Glebe Road, Suite 900
Arlington, VA 22203
703-706-3300 or 800-CLOSE UP
CST-1002082-40:
Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.
