Purpose

The Close Up Fellowship program pays for economically disadvantaged, middle and secondary school teachers and students whose family has moved to the United States within the last five year to spend one week in Washington,D.C. attending seminars on government and current events and meeting with leaders from the three branches of the federal government. The program also supports professional development related to civic education for teachers of participating students.

How It Works

The Close Up Fellowship program provides a noncompetitive grant to the Close Up Foundation, based in Washington, D.C. Funding is available in three areas: (1) fellowships for economically disadvantaged middle and secondary school students, with special consideration given to students with disabilities, ethnic minority students, and students with migrant parents; (2) the foundation's professional development programs for middle and secondary school teachers and its programs to increase civic responsibility and understanding among the teachers' students; and (3) fellowships for the New Americans Program, which serves economically disadvantaged students whose families have immigrated to the United States within the past five years.

Key Requirements

The Close Up Foundation is required to evaluate the extent to which the program provides students with an increased understanding of the federal government; heightens their sense of civic responsibility; and enhances the skills of teachers in teaching about civic responsibility, the federal government, and responsible citizenship. In addition, new targeting provisions have been added to ensure the participation of students from rural areas, small towns, and urban areas, as well as students with migrant parents.

How Performance Is Measured

The Close Up Foundation is required to develop procedures for measuring program effectiveness.