Ja'Brandon, First-Time Voter, Texas

NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026

@StanfordDDL @Generation_Lab @HooverInst

What shapes young Americans’ trust in democracy, and what happens when first-time voters come together to discuss the future of elections?

FULL REPORT below ⬇️

Angelina, First-Time Voter, Nevada

NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026

@StanfordDDL @Generation_Lab @HooverInst

What should America’s role in the world look like - and how do first-time voters navigate questions of immigration, global responsibility, and national priorities?

David, First-Time Voter, Michigan

NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026

@StanfordDDL @Generation_Lab @HooverInst

As artificial intelligence reshapes society, what do first-time voters think about its role in their future, and how might deliberation shape those views?

Read the full Decision 2026 Impact Report to explore the findings: closeup.org/nextgen-roundt…

Duncan, First-Time Voter, Colorado

NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026

@StanfordDDL @Generation_Lab @HooverInst

Read the full Decision 2026 Impact Report to explore the findings: closeup.org/nextgen-roundt…

Dive into the report’s findings, including the profound effects of deliberative dialogue on young Americans’ sense of efficacy and mutual respect, the opinions & policy priorities of Gen Z, & opportunities to continue this work in communities like yours nationwide.

We’re thrilled to share with you the NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026 Impact Report, now available at closeup.org!

Hear directly from participants as they share their perspectives, priorities, and experiences with deliberative dialogue.

Special thanks to Country Roads Studios' Francisco Hernández-Cáceres and Federico Lang for producing the visual memory of this history-making event.

By sharing your experiences, answering questions, and helping students explore complex issues, you made space for meaningful conversations that connect what students learned to the world around them.

From Community Action Seminar speakers for our DC programs to expert panelists at our NextGen Roundtables across the country, your willingness to engage with students brought real-world perspectives into civic learning.

Thank you to the policy and education professionals who shared their time and knowledge with Close Up students this year!

Students build connections with peers from across the globe while exploring the nation’s capital.

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we recognize the histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples and the importance of their voices in shaping American democracy.

Through programs with partners like DOI, USET, & the Native Youth Summit, Close Up connects Indigenous youth with policymakers, helping them explore how public policy affects their communities and how their voices can help shape the decisions that impact their futures.

Ensuring Indigenous youth have a voice in our nation’s civic life is essential to building a democracy that represents us all.

Voters in California and Washington will decide whether to raise taxes on their wealthiest residents or roll back existing plans to do so. #CurrentIssuesBlog

Some seize the opportunity to ask questions and make their voices heard.

Others leave understanding, perhaps for the first time, that democracy is something they have a role in shaping.

Then ➡️ Now

Same halls. Same marble steps. Decades apart.

For more than 50 years, Close Up has brought generations of students face-to-face with decision-makers on Capitol Hill.

I’m proud to be part of a 50+ year legacy of Program Instructors who inform, inspire, and empower the next generation of active citizens in democracy.

Ready to make your own impact?

APPLY: closeup.org/civic-program-…

In a year as a Program Instructor at Close Up, I got to:

- Conduct a deliberative poll with 400 first-time voters
- Watch a first-generation American student win a Mock Presidential election
- Witness students come out of their shells as they explore the nation's capitol

What if your job let you step into history every day?

My name is Sophia and I've had an amazing year as a Program Instructor at the Close Up Foundation!

Congratulations to Close Up President Mia Charity on being named a National Civics Fellow with the Hoover Institution’s Center for Revitalizing American Institutions.

Who should have to prove their identity, or citizenship, to vote?

This election season, voters in 12 states will decide ballot measures on voter ID and citizenship requirements, raising questions about election security, voting access, cost, and public confidence.

WEDNESDAY · Join Close Up and @StanfordDDL, @Generation_Lab, and the @HooverInst's Center for Revitalizing American Institutions, as well as our participants, educators, and supporters, for a free webinar to unveil the NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026 Impact Report!

There’s no better place to launch a career in education or public service than Close Up!

Program instructors transform D.C. into a living classroom, facilitate deliberation on today’s most pressing policy issues, & shape students into active citizens.

closeup.org/civic-program-…

We are grateful to 5000 Role Models of Excellence and to its founder Congresswoman @RepWilson, whose vision has guided more than three decades of mentorship, leadership, and opportunity for young people.

From Capitol Hill to the city’s historic landmarks, students connected what they’ve learned in the classroom with the people and places shaping our democracy while building community and imagining their own roles as active citizens.

Close Up was proud to welcome students from the @5000RoleModels to Washington, D.C., for an experience rooted in leadership, history, and civic engagement.

We’re partnering with @JNJNews to offer a one-week DC experience this Spring that brings civic learning to life!

Hear from this year’s Johnson & Johnson Civic Scholars as they reflect on the experiences they will carry with them long after leaving the nation’s capital.

Americans disagree about politics, but they often struggle to explain why.

In honor of #ConstitutionDay, Close Up (with support from the U.S. Department of Education) is providing educators with multi-partisan classroom examinations of America’s core political values.

The race to bring AI into schools is already underway.

As technology companies invest millions in teacher training, classroom tools, and AI education initiatives, they’re gaining a growing role in shaping how the technology enters schools.

READ: closeup.org/big-tech-goes-…

What better day to bring young Americans together across differences than Election Day?

On November 3, 2026, Close Up is heading to @Stanford to gather high school students in the Bay Area for a day of purposeful deliberation and dialogue across differences.

We’d also like to thank our #NextGenRoundtable expert panelists:
- Dr. JP Singh, @GeorgeMasonU
- Dr. Bryan Caplan, @GeorgeMasonU
- Conner Hoyt, @Latinocdc
- Pericles Niarchos, @feeonline
- Bethany Abbate, @SIIA

Special thanks to George Mason University for hosting this regional #NextGenRoundtable and the schools, educators, and partners who helped Close Up bring this experience to life.

After familiarizing themselves with a range of multifaceted policy positions, students heard from leading experts during a panel on how AI is reshaping our economy and communities. #NextGenRoundtable

Students started out in workshops discussing policy ranging from taxation to college preparation for the job market. #NextGenRoundtable

For last week's NextGen Roundtable: Fairfax Youth Summit, Close Up brought high school students from across the region to @GeorgeMasonU to deliberate the intersection of AI and the economy. #NextGenRoundtable

AI is already in schools. But are schools ready for it?

With students and teachers increasingly using AI, states are making decisions about how to regulate it, even as researchers warn that the evidence on its long-term effects is still limited.

READ: closeup.org/should-schools…

Guiding students through the history of September 11 is a responsibility we approach with care and a deep sense of purpose.

On October 13, 2026, we’re heading to @DukeU in Durham, North Carolina, for one of six regional deliberations taking place nationwide in 2026-27 as part of NextGen Roundtable: America 250.

Jillian, First-Time Voter, Massachusetts

NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026

@StanfordDDL @Generation_Lab @HooverInst

Students from across the U.S. territories got a Close Up look at the Big Apple during the New York City leg of their program!

Thank you to our partners at @Interior for providing the avenue for this incredible opportunity

How strict should cell phone bans be?

Do they actually change student behavior?

And what about students the rules weren’t designed for, like those with disability accommodations who rely on cell phones?

Current Issues Blog Post: closeup.org/school-cellpho…

Heavenlilly, First-Time Voter, Pennsylvania

NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026

@StanfordDDL Generation Lab @HooverInst

Together, they led a nationwide campaign to design and fund the “Legacy of Lincoln” exhibit beneath the Lincoln Memorial, recognizing it as a symbol of freedom and equality that has inspired Americans for generations.

Check out the latest on the National Mall Gateway, created by the Trust and the @NatlParkService to bring the incredible story of the Scottsdale Six:

A group of Close Up students who used the citizenship skills they practiced with us to make a monumental change.

Close Up is proud to partner with @TheNationalMall to mark the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

gateway.nationalmall.org/en/mall-moment…

AUDIENCE AWARD #3
Vienna Dschung of Massachusetts

AUDIENCE AWARD #2
Ava Kate White of Arkansas

AUDIENCE AWARD #1
Aaron Summerall of Tennessee

JURY AWARD
Brock Pyle of Missouri

The NextGen Storyteller Challenge put 16 young Americans behind the lens to capture NextGen Roundtable: #Decision2026

Congratulations to our winners (and see their videos below):

As our main partner for the elective, Congressional Cemetery gave our groups the opportunity to visit the graves of several prominent Native Americans buried there, where teachers explored the stories of how they shaped U.S. history.

You wouldn’t expect a cemetery to be a highlight of Teacher Program, but Congressional Cemetery was just one stop on our "Indigenous America in the Nation’s Capital" elective led by TPS Michael Boateng.

We have the chance to present at next year’s @SXSWEDU - but we need your help and your vote!

Close Up's @MiaCharity is partnering with @NAISnetwork's Debra Wilson and NextGen Roundtable students on our proposed workshop, Beyond Debate: Teaching Students to Think Together.

With your vote, Close Up & @NAISnetwork could present at @SXSWEDU!

Student voice matters, but having a voice is just the beginning.

Young people need skills to listen thoughtfully, engage with perspectives different from their own, & work together for meaningful solutions.

Enjoying a beautiful summer day at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial with teachers from Houston and Spring Independent School Districts, led by Teacher Program's Bobby Hunter!

Vote today to help Close Up and @NAISnetwork co-host a workshop at @SXSWEDU!

VOTE HERE: participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw…

Not only did we explore monuments and memorials during America's 250th anniversary, teachers met with their state's decision-makers on Capitol Hill, and discussed education policy with staff from the Center for American Progress.

We were so excited to welcome Indiana teachers through our partnership with @BallState's Center for Economic Civic Learning (CECL)!

While guiding students though DC is the highlight of our weekly programs, bringing a group of educators to the nation's capital adds something special to our civic programing.

What an amazing partnership with Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies @APAICS for this year's Youth Leadership Academy!

Teacher program at the Daughters of the American Revolution National Headquarters Memorial Continental Hall!

These fantastic partners have graciously hosted Teacher Program's Washington naval conference elective. @TodaysDAR

3 deliberations

@StanfordDDL @Generation_Lab @HooverInst #NextGenRoundtable #Decision2026

16 workshops

@StanfordDDL @Generation_Lab @HooverInst #NextGenRoundtable #Decision2026