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Partner Programs

Close Up partners with organizations and businesses on specially designed programs to provide students with leadership opportunities.

 

Close Up partners with a variety of organizations to conduct special programs that inspire and empower young people to become engaged citizens. Through Close Up’s nonpartisan approach and expertise in designing effective programs for schools, these student leadership opportunities for high schoolers help our partners target communities and constituents, focus on specific policy issues, and invest in the development of future leaders.

Participation in a Close Up program requires parent or guardian approval for any participants under 18 years of age. 

Bank of America: Student Leaders Program

Students participating in Bank of America program posing at Martin Luther King Jr. MemorialBank of America’s Student Leaders Program offers high school students a leadership development program that provides them with valuable perspectives on civic, social, and business partnerships as positive forces of change within their communities.

Students selected to participate in Bank of America’s Student Leaders Program take part in a summer internship experience at a nonprofit in their home community, as well as the Student Leadership Summit, conducted by the Close Up Foundation each July. Together, these activities help students develop important leadership skills and strengthen their commitment to improving their communities.

For more information click here.

Georgetown University: Leaders in Advocacy Institute

Female students working together on Georgetown Leadership program in Washington, DCThe Close Up Foundation is partnering with Georgetown University’s Summer Institutes to offer the Leaders in Advocacy Institute. The Institute will bring together a diverse group of students from across the United States and the world to participate in an intensive, hands-on program exploring various strategies for organizing people and influencing policy.

Students will be immersed in the real world of decision-making and advocacy in Washington, DC, hearing directly from policy and media experts, think tanks, advocacy organizations, and influencers from both sides of the aisle. Through workshops, lectures, and leadership case studies, students will examine the complexities of major current issues and the practice of crafting persuasive arguments and compelling messages to support various positions. Students will leave the program well-equipped to take on leadership roles at school, in the local community, and in the global community.

For more information click here.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute: Young Latino Leaders in Washington

Latino students walking and talking on Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute while at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, DC Thanks to the generous support of the State Farm Insurance Company, Close Up is partnering with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) to run the Young Latino Leaders in Washington Program.

This program combines Close Up’s core civic education methodology and CHCI’s proven leadership curriculum for Latino youth to give select low-income students the opportunity to participate in a unique civic education experience.

For more information click here.

American Civil Liberties Union: Summer Advocacy Institute

Diverse college students marching with ACLU on National Mall in Washington, DCThe Close Up Foundation partners with the American Civil Liberties Union to run Advocacy Institutes for high school and college students from across the country. The ACLU Advocacy Institutes bring together diverse groups of students to participate in first-hand learning experiences for the next generation of social justice advocates.

At the ACLU summer program, students learn directly from lawyers, lobbyists, and community activists working to defend civil rights and liberties critical to a free and open society. Students are immersed in the real world of political and legal decision-making in Washington, DC, meeting with elected officials and community organizers, as well as participating in workshops with civil rights pioneers and other current youth activists.

To learn more about the ACLU Summer Advocacy Program for high school students, click here.

To learn more about the ACLU Advanced Advocacy Program for college students, click here.

National Civics & Law Academy

High school students speaking with a Congressman on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC

The American Bar Association conducts the National Civics & Law Academy in partnership with the Close Up Foundation. This program gives students a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of the relationship that law, policies, people, and institutions have in shaping our nation.

For more information, click here.

Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference

Program Instructor speaking with female students at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DCThe Freedom Forum conducts the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference to promote the vital role of the First Amendment as a cornerstone of democracy. This program is designed to inspire students who are interested in pursuing a career in journalism and who demonstrate the qualities of a “free spirt.”

For more information click here.

EXPLORE ALL HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS

 

Washington, D.C.

Six-Day Program

Learn about American democracy first-hand during this in-depth exploration of the nation’s capital. Learn More >

Fourth of July 2025

Celebrate an unforgettable Independence Day in D.C. with Close Up! Learn More >

NextGen Roundtable: AI & Democracy Summer Institute

Join us at Stanford University this summer to study policy at the intersection of technology and society! Learn More >

Customize a Program for Your School

Partner with Close Up to design a customized experience for your school! Learn More >

Civil Discourse Lab

Customize a four-day, deliberation-focused program to help your students think critically and develop empathy for other views. Learn More >

Washington, D.C. & New York City

Examine the relationship between business and government while visiting two of America’s most important cities. Learn More >

Washington, D.C.

Four-Day Program

Explore the capital city in a fast-paced, four-day adventure! Learn More >

New Americans Program

Discover our nation’s diverse heritage in a D.C. program geared toward immigrant and migrant students. Learn More >

American Indian Focus Programs

Consider the issues facing Indian Country in one of three exclusive programs in the nation’s capital. Learn More >