;
Meaningful Civil Discourse
The Close Up Conversation Series is an online program that pairs students from your classroom with students from other parts of the country, helping them to engage in civil discourse. The program, developed by the Close Up Foundation and AllSides for Schools, hosts live exchanges between students in classrooms with different geographic, demographic, and ideological profiles, encouraging them to build understanding and empathy for different viewpoints. All curricular materials—including lesson plans, in-class activities, and teacher guides—are provided, allowing you to easily and thoroughly prepare your students for meaningful dialogue.
Is your class ready to join the conversation?
What Does Each Close Up Conversation Look Like?
Which Classrooms Can Participate in the Close Up Conversation Series?
What Technology Does My Classroom Need to Participate in the Close Up Conversation Series?
Curricular Materials and Training to Support Educators
To help you create a more meaningful experience for your students, it is important to practice civil discourse in your classroom prior to the live conversations. Close Up provides you with all of the resources and training you need to facilitate productive conversations, including:
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 think Close Up’s virtual program is an amazing experience…
I’m truly blown away by what Close Up’s been able to accomplish in the last two weeks during IMPACT 2020…
The material seems very high level, and my daughter’s been very motivated to participate every day. I wanted to be sure to commend the staff on providing such a great experience!
I plan to introduce Close Up’s professional development to the teachers I work with…
and use this as a part of my school’s requirement that students take action on issues of local, national, and international importance.