Committed Partners in Civic Education
In 2025, Close Up reached an astounding milestone of 50 years of partnership with Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, a private, Catholic school in Miami, Florida, serving boys in grades 6-12. Guided by its commitment to academic excellence and spiritual discipline, Belen Jesuit has graduated over 8,000 alumni since 1961, sending them out into the world as Men for Others.
Close Up has been honored to be part of the Belen Jesuit educational experience since 1975, when then-Social Studies Department Chairman Patrick Collins led the school’s first trip to Washington, D.C. It’s a tradition that has endured through every year of the past half-century, thanks to our joint commitment to civic education and youth empowerment.
Introducing the Patrick Collins Close Up Scholarship
To celebrate the 50th year of partnership between Close Up and Belen Jesuit and to honor the legacy of our longest-serving Close Up educator, we are proud to establish the Patrick Collins Close Up Scholarship. The fund will support deserving Close Up students with financial need from Belen Jesuit, ensuring that they have the opportunity to interact with their history and government in Washington, D.C.
Close Up is grateful for the longstanding support of donors who support our mission to empower young people nationwide. To learn more about how you can contribute to Close Up’s work, please contact us at support@closeup.org.
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.
