In February 2017, a group of 15 Bellaire High School students will travel as part of the Close Up Foundation’s Washington D.C. civic education program. Close Up gives students the opportunity to experience their government in action and gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to be engaged citizens. While on the trip, students will participate in a variety of hands-on activities such as small group workshops, seminars with Washington, D.C. journalists, lobbyists, and embassy officials, and meetings with members of Congress and their staffs. Furthermore, students will learn from and debate with their peers from across the country, exposing them to differing attitudes and perspectives.  

Bellaire High School is a comprehensive school with a highly diverse and high achieving population of over 3,600 students in grades 9-12. Though located in a neighborhood with a higher socioeconomic status than a lot of Houston, nearly 50% of our students are identified as at-risk and qualify for free or reduced price lunch. This includes a number of the students traveling on the Close Up trip. These students have used their own, hard earned money to pay the initial deposit to reserve their spot on the trip, and will be fundraising 100% of the rest of the money. The money raised as part of this PledgeCents campaign will be used to help fund the trip costs for those students identified as at-risk / economically disadvantaged. 

Because civic education is for everyone, and not just the most privileged, I hope you are able to lend a hand in making this valuable educational program available to all students, regardless of financial background. For more information on the trip and the Close Up Foundation, visit CloseUp.org.

Back Up Plan