Founded in 1971, Close Up is a national nonprofit organization that educates and inspires young people to become informed and engaged citizens through a close up view of government and democracy in action. Close Up works together with teachers, administrators, parents and students nationwide to provide challenging, hands-on civic education programs for students and teachers in Washington, DC. Using the nation’s capital as a living classroom, Close Up’s diverse services include programs for middle schools and high schools, as well as programs for constituencies such as Native Americans, New Americans, and Pacific Islanders. FirstPic, Inc. assists Close Up by providing the following services:
- Develops beneficial collaborative partnerships with numerous nonprofit organizations to increase the organization’s reach nationally, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, National Congress of American Indians, National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, and the Sea Research Foundation.
- Engages in related opportunity research and development.
- Promotes Close Up collaborations with tribal organizations nationwide.
- Develops targeted organizational materials for marketing and development.
In 2014, Close Up Foundation launched the Model Citizen Mentoring Program in partnership with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Through this program, students work with teachers and community-based mentors to acquire civic knowledge and and become engaged with their community. Under this initiative, FirstPic, Inc. has provided Close Up Foundation with training and technical assistance in program set-up, participant training and the development of an online reporting site for tracking program outcomes.