Students Get a Close-Up Look at Government in Washington, D.C.
By Ms. Kathryn Fetterly/Close-Up Students
February 19, 2025
During the Week of February 9-14, five students, accompanied by Ms. Fetterly, attended the “Close-Up” workshop in Washington D.C. Marnie McGlinch '25, Cece Staples '25, Elizabeth Daigle '25, Molly Brost '25 and Henry Malloy '26 spent the week learning about Government, Politics and Foreign Policy while exploring D.C. with other schools from around the country. The students explored the American History Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Portrait Gallery and the Holocaust Memorial as well as many memorials and monuments of our Nation's Capital.
After a day of touring the city, Close-Up instructors led discussions and workshops in the evening which included a Mock Congress, current issue debates, and small group discussions.
The highlight of the week was "Capitol Hill Day" where the students visited the offices of Senator Tina Smith and Representative Betty McCollum. They were able to meet with congressional staff and ask questions about policy, procedure and personal questions about the career path into politics. After a private tour through the Capitol and Senate floor viewing, the students went out for dinner and then attended a theater production of "Shear Madness" at the Kennedy Center.
The end of the Close-Up workshop week included a banquet dinner and dance for all of the students. It was an action-packed week of examining the Nation's Capital, "Close Up", and they had a fun time learning, meeting new friends and feeling inspired by the functions of government. According to Molly Brost '25, “Close-Up was an amazing experience that I would encourage anyone to take. The sights we saw, the people we met, and the history learned will forever be a memory I will cherish.”
Close-Up is 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.