A Close Up on Close-Up

by Greta Cunningham ‘23, Communications Apprentice
May 2, 2023

Ever since the Cretin and Derham Hall merger, CDH has offered Close-Up, a one-trimester social studies class for juniors and seniors. Nationally, the Close-Up Foundation is a civic education nonprofit that coordinates D.C. trips with schools across the country. For CDH students, this trip is a climactic end to weeks of preparing in the classroom with essential conversations around current events and public policy. 

“This class is about helping students become more effective citizens, what we call political efficacy,” said David Boisclair, a CDH social studies teacher who has led the trip for 25 years. “It’s a perfect class for any student who has an interest in how our national government operates, international and national events, and trying to make sense of them.”

This year's trip took place from February 12 through the 17 with about 100 other high school students from Michigan, California, Arizona, Hawaii, and Illinois. During the day, CDH students explored the National Mall with their workshops, groups that intermixed them with Close-Up students from around the country, for mock congress sessions, interest group discussions, and tours of the national monuments and memorials. The friendships students were able to make became essential to their experience. 

“One of the most impactful lessons I learned on this trip was that I don’t need to have the same political views as someone to agree with them on something,” said Sophia Thomas ’23. “On the first day, we learned one of our roommates had strong political views that were different than ours, and, not knowing her well yet, we were worried it would create conflict that would prevent us from being able to continue the day’s discussions back in the room. However, we ended up doing it all the time, and those conversations were some of the best of the trip.” 

Close-Up is scaffolded around opportunities for impactful interpersonal interactions with peers and professionals. A particularly significant experience for the class was the chance to talk to Minnesotan congresswomen Betty McCollum and Amy Klobuchar. 

“It can be easy to think of these people as celebrities when we’re used to only seeing them on TV, so the chance to really just see them as people was so cool,” said Alice Guion ’23. “One of the most eye-opening parts of the trip for me was visiting their offices and seeing all the employees and interns who help them; so many people go into making a bill. The opportunity to just appreciate the human side of Capitol Hill was really powerful.” 

Making politics and civic engagement feel accessible and tangible in this way is at the heart of CDH’s purpose with this trip. 

“It’s really all about seeing their eyes open up wide as they realize that this thing called government is not some foreign entity but something that's approachable and that they can actually engage with,” said Boisclair. 

Seeing all the roles that exist in government opened the students’ eyes to the wide range of career possibilities available to them. 

“Because of Close-Up, I decided that I want to major in math and political science. I would never have even considered that if I didn't go on the trip,” said Natalie Seng ’23

It didn’t only impact how students viewed their future plans academically but also invigorated their excitement for new people and places with college close on the horizon. 

“As seniors, we mostly know everyone we're interacting with day to day, so the chance to meet so many new people was really fun,” said Leah Stoltz ’23. “It was a good reminder as we approach college that putting yourself out there is really not that hard, and the different relationships you can form are so worth it.”

Whether it was Monet in the National Gallery, passing congressional staff on the Capitol stairs, their final gala with high schoolers from around the country, or particularly challenging litigations in a bill writing exercise, each student had a moment that spoke to their need for connection and curiosity. Every year CDH is honored to offer students the opportunity to find it. 

 

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