Close Up

Every other year PCD upper school students have the opportunity to take part in the Close Up Foundation's intensive experience in our nation's capital.

Students join students from all over the United States for five days, getting a hands-on education in how their government works. With an eye toward encouraging engaged political citizenship and a more nuanced and detailed understanding of both the mechanism of government and crucial policy matters, the program balances visits to all the significant D.C. sites with insider views and workshops.

In addition to a visit to the Capitol, meeting congressmen and staffers, a mock Congress, classroom sessions, and guided visits to key landmarks, this program focuses on the president's first weeks in office and the specific demands of the early part of a presidency. Furthermore, we meet students from schools around the country and have the opportunity to share a wide range of perspectives and opinions. Past Close Up participants still credit the other students they met for making the trip so valuable.