Close Up - Washington D.C. Educational Programs

Today’s Close Up - Washington D.C. Educational Programs students from Flasher and Richardton-Taylor had excellent questions about a range of topics, from my path to the Senate to energy production and term limits.

Can't wait to meet these students on the ground in D.C.!

Give students the opportunity to step into democracy, and they’ll rise to meet the moment.

Close Up was proud to partner with Johnson & Johnson to bring high school students from New Jersey and Massachusetts to the nation’s capital to explore leadership, public policy, and the issues impacting their communities through the J&J Civic Scholars Program.

We’re grateful to the Johnson & Johnson Federal Affairs Enterprise Initiatives team for helping create a space where students can engage across perspectives, expand their vision, and discover the role they can play in shaping the future.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, it is important that we recognize that strengthening democratic participation starts with self-awareness.

The Hoover Institution has launched the Civic Profile: a quick self-assessment that helps people reflect on their civic knowledge, values, and engagement. There’s no grade or judgement, and is meant to help Americans recognize that democracy requires many different perspectives and choices.

The Civic Profile is intended as a living instrument, evolving to measure new forms of participation and emerging civic challenges as democratic life changes. Learn more and participate:

Home - Civic Profile Civic values are the beliefs that people hold about what makes for a good society, a good government, and how individuals and groups should interact.

Close Up gathered over 200 students and teachers in downtown Manhattan to tackle real-world issues through dialogue and deliberation.

The NextGen Roundtable: New York City Youth Summit brought participants to Civic Hall for a day focused on national as well as local policy issues ranging from improving the jobs market to housing costs within the five boroughs.

Students were introduced to policy and community leaders during an expert panel on economic opportunity and public leadership before concluding the program with a reflection on actionable steps students can take on issues facing school communities across New York City.

Special thanks to the Bernard Goldstein Center’s Civic Hall, Collegiate School New York, Poly Prep Country Day School, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City Public Schools, and the following panelists for bringing this experience to life:

- Dr. Prabal K. De, Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, The City University of New York
- Dr. Alex Schwartz, The New School for Social Research
- Sola Amusan, NYC Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity NYC Opportunity
- Elizabeth Saylor, The Legal Aid Society
- Carlos Ortiz, New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection

Close Up’s Rally to the Tally brought more than 230 Broward County middle and high school students—and over 30 educators—to Tallahassee for an unforgettable week of civic engagement, leadership development, and college exploration. In partnership with Broward County Public Schools’ Bilingual/ESOL Department, students had the opportunity to:

Learn about the three branches of government
Participate in a simulation on the floor of the Florida State Senate and explore the Florida Supreme Court
Meet with policy experts and public officials
Present to Florida legislators and decision-makers their own policy proposals and solutions regarding issues impacting young people and their communities

Students also visited the University of Central Florida, Florida A&M University, and the University of Florida for admissions sessions and campus tours that highlighted pathways to higher education and future success.

A special thank you to Broward County Public Schools for 11 years of partnership and collaboration, as well as to the incredible panelists, partners, and guests who helped make this experience possible:

Dr. Raydel Hernandez Garcia, Bureau Chief, Florida Department of Education
Mark Schlakman, Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights
Jim Croteau, Retired Educator
Jennifer Johnson, Florida Department of Behavioral Health
Jason Koerner, Leon County Schools
Demetrius Rice, Florida School Boards Association
Teri Cariota, Office of Florida Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez
Matt Singer, Florida League of Cities
Shila Salem, Florida Department of Children and Families
Rep. Felicia Robinson, Florida House of Representatives
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, U.S. House of Representatives

Thank you to everyone who helped inspire the next generation of civic leaders!