The mission of the nonprofit, nonpartisan close up foundation is to inform, inspire, and empower young people to understand and embrace the rights and responsibilities of active citizenship

The Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs awarded Close Up Foundation a $1.1M Project Grant under the Economic, Social, and Political Development of the Territories program (CFDA 15.875) on November 3, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2029. The grant supports the Close Up Insular Areas Program, which provides comprehensive civic education services to approximately 500 students and teachers annually from seven insular jurisdictions: American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Under this award, Close Up Foundation delivers two primary program components: the Close Up Washington Program, in which students and teachers travel to Washington, D.C., to engage with key policymakers and democratic institutions, and Local Youth Summits conducted within the insular areas. Additionally, the foundation provides professional development training and instructional materials to teachers to enhance their civic education delivery. The program is designed to build students' understanding of U.S. democracy and the unique federal-territorial relationship, while developing critical citizenship skills including civil discourse, compromise, communication, deliberation, public speaking, and critical thinking. The initiative empowers youth from the territories to become engaged citizens and leaders within their communities.

Close up is the only civic education program that serves every segment of society, actively seeking to provide opportunities for high school and middle school students regardless of their socioeconomic levels or prior academic success. Since 1987, close up has partnered with the U.S. Department of the interior to provide civic education opportunities to serve students and teachers from the insular areas, including american samoa, cnmi, the federated states of micronesia, guam, the republic of the marshall islands, the republic of palau, and the U.S. Virgin islands. Close up respectfully requests funding in the amount of $1,100,000 to serve nearly 500 students and teachers this year through participation in the close up washington program and local youth summits. The goals of the close up insular areas program for students and teachers are to: -demonstrate how the U.S. Model of democracy functions and foster the interest, knowledge, and skills needed to effectively participate in a democracy. -address the academic needs of the insular areas and provide training and materials to improve teachers' civic education skills. -increase understanding of the unique relationship between the federal government and the governments of the insular areas and freely associated states. -provide opportunities for students to develop and practice important citizenship skills, including civil discourse, compromise, communication, deliberation, public speaking, and critical thinking. -empower youth from the territories to become engaged citizens and leaders in their communities. As part of the close up insular areas programs, students will have opportunity to participate in two programs noted below: close up washington program: students and teachers will travel to washington, D.C., to discuss key policy issues with peers from the insular areas and across the country and participate in legislative simulations, study visits to notable memorials and historic sites; engage with experts, representatives from the U.S. Department of interior, congressional delegates, and embassy officials; and explore ways to continue practicing their civic skills when they return home. Local youth summits: the summits are designed to help students examine local public policy issues and develop a set of policy recommendations to address those issues. Through the program students will research issues impacting their local community; engage with local experts and community stakeholders; and present their proposals to local elected officials for feedback and consideration. In addition to the student programs, teachers will have access to professional development and resources to facilitate discussion about current issues in the classroom.