At this year’s Close Up in Washington, DC, 18 Dominican students and chaperones Randy Duplantis and Kathleen Fasold attended the February 19-24 event. They also enjoyed a dinner with Dominican alumnae Erin Metzinger Collier (1992), Jennifer Gniady (1990), Laura Iverson (1990), Anne-Marie Dardis Minnis (1986), and Darneshia Robinson (1997). Among the numerous activities they experienced were Contemporary Issues Debate, Monument study visits including Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, WWII, Vietnam, Korea, Lincoln, 9/11, Marine Corps, Smithsonian Museum of US History, Political Values Workshop, Mock Congress, Capitol Hill visit and US Capitol Tour, National Postal Museum, Kennedy Center Performance, Arlington Cemetery, Library of Congress, National Archives, Drug Enforcement Administration Museum, and Air and Space Museum.

Founded in 1971, Close Up is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, civic education organization that believes a strong democracy requires active, informed participation by all citizens. Close Up seeks to serve young people from all communities and all backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, gender, socioeconomic level, or academic standing.  For over 50 years, it has partnered with schools nationwide to serve more than one million students and educators through experiential programs in our nation’s capital and in local communities, virtual programs, professional development, and curriculum and resource design.  Close Up’s issue-centric, nonpartisan curriculum gives participants a deeper understanding of history, government institutions, current issues, and the role of citizens. The goal is to inspire every person to find their voice and to help young people develop critical skills for tackling the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.