Here at Close Up, we are committed to supporting and recognizing our teacher partners who demonstrate extraordinary dedication to students’ development as engaged citizens. Meet the 2025-26 winners of the Linda Myers Chozen Award for Teaching Excellence!
Do you know an educator who is showing outstanding leadership, innovation, and commitment to citizenship education? Encourage them to apply for the award today!
Meet the 2025-26 Honorees!
Crystal Bozigian
North Providence High School | North Providence, Rhode Island
As the advisor of the multi-tiered Student Government Day Activities in collaboration with the town of North Providence and Mayor Charles Lombardi, Crystal helps to broaden students’ understanding of the roles and responsibilities within the American system of government, specifically at the local and state levels. Through the initiative, juniors and seniors run for mock elected positions, participate in a realistic voting process supported by the Rhode Island Secretary of State and Board of Elections, and shadow actual officials during a two-day immersive program in which government truly comes to life.
How has engaging in citizenship education changed your students?
“Engaging in citizenship education has empowered students to engage in rich civic discourse with their peers and even challenge the leaders of our community with their insight and ideas. By affording our students these opportunities beyond the school’s four walls, they are able to gain the confidence to voice their opinions, share their ideas, and witness our democracy in action at the local, state, and national level. Our students are our future and I am honored to lead and learn with my students daily in the classroom and throughout the community at large.”
Robert Martin Stuker
Lodge Grass School | Lodge Grass, Montana
As a social studies teacher on Montana’s Crow Reservation, Robert spearheads an annual Close Up experience that has brought 180 students to Washington, D.C., since 2010. Yet the trip is just one aspect of his civic engagement work, as he prepares his class for Close Up through an entire school year of current issue discussions, writing assignments, monument study activities, community service, and fundraising efforts that engage the community. The common thread in Robert’s work is an emphasis on understanding the Constitution, civic responsibility, the rights of citizens, and giving back locally.
How has engaging in citizenship education changed your students?
“I love the Close Up program because it gives my students a view of a bigger world than they are used to. I teach on the Crow Reservation here in Montana. Many of the kids I take to Washington, D.C., each year come from low-income homes. Hence the reason that I put much of my personal time and money into this annual endeavor. … It has changed so many of their perspectives [and] their world view. They have taken a different look at our government and how important it is to be a part of the political arena. Some have even involved themselves in Tribal government. … I love the Close Up program because it has not only given back so much to my students, but also to myself as well.”
Sharon Moore
Bourne Middle School | Bourne, Massachusetts
Sharon helps guide eighth-grade students through a Civics Action Project, a six-stage initiative designed to build civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions while fostering cultural competence, academic engagement, and self-advocacy. Students research a topic of their choice, write letters, create surveys, and conduct interviews, and then synthesize their information in an outreach project meant to make a difference in the school, the community, or beyond. The project, which involves the entire eighth grade, culminates in a Civics Action Fair where students present posters highlighting their work to peers, teachers, community members, and dignitaries.
How has engaging in citizenship education changed your students?
“Citizenship education has enabled our students to use their voices to try to raise awareness about issues and make a change in their community. They learn real-world skills that they can utilize throughout their lives. I have seen firsthand how following a passion or interest can lead to students gaining confidence to speak up and out on topics that impact them in Bourne and on Cape Cod. It empowers them to become more civically engaged members of society.”
Steven Piscitelli
St. Brendan High School | Miami, Florida
As a St. Brendan teacher and administrator since 1976, Steven has led almost too many impactful activities to count, including 47 years of Close Up trips to Washington, D.C. He created a robust law studies curriculum at school, launched St. Brendan’s Law and Global Business Academy, organized field trips from Tallahassee to Boston, and forged partnerships with alumni and professionals that have resulted in unrivaled mentorship, real-world experiences, and networking opportunities for students along the way.
How has engaging in citizenship education changed your students?
“Engagement in citizenship education, beginning with the Close Up trip to Washington, D.C., truly opened their eyes as to how our political system works. The Close Up week also allowed them to appreciate opposing points of view, in some cases, for the first time in their lives. Engaging students in citizen education has also brought many of them to the realization that they need to be participants and not merely spectators in our political arena by such means as voting and even holding public office. Several graduates are currently [holding] or have in the past held public office with a sense of integrity and sense of purpose. What more could we hope to accomplish than this?”
Andre Rodriguez
Milby High School | Houston, Texas
For the last decade, Andre has given students a real-world glimpse of civic action by organizing annual voter registration drives at school to encourage participation in the democratic process. He has also brought social studies to life for his students through debate watch events, Close Up experiences in Washington, D.C., and Texas, Civic Ambassador training, and a trip to the Texas Capitol to meet state lawmakers, reaching approximately 475 students along the way.
How has engaging in citizenship education changed your students?
“Citizenship education has changed my students by allowing them to realize their voice as well as getting them out of their comfort zone and bubble, which translates to individual growth and maturity.”
