NAIS Student Civic Leadership Summit

NAIS Student Civic Leadership Summit

2025 NAIS Student Civic Leadership Summit
February 5–7, 2025
Washington, DC

The NAIS Student Civic Leadership Summit in partnership with Close Up Foundation brings together high school students from across the country to build knowledge, develop strategies, and hone leadership skills to make a positive impact. Through engagement with experts and collaborative inquiry into pressing national issues, students will consider their individual and collective responsibilities and agency, identify best practices in community engagement, and explore how the voices of other community members might shape their work toward a better future. Students will develop vision statements and strategies to make a difference in their own communities, and present those plans to teachers, administrators, and other participants in the concurrent 2025 NNSP Annual Conference.

Register Now


Program Highlights

During this three-day summit, students will:
  • Deepen their understanding of pressing national issues;
  • Explore the ways in which these national—and even global—issues impact local communities;
  • Deliberate on the barriers and structures that can make change difficult;
  • Work in groups to create vision statements that incorporate tangible action steps; and
  • Present their plans to educators and experts at the 2025 NNSP Annual Conference.
PRE-PROGRAM WORKSHOP: In November, we will host a program orientation via Zoom for registered students and advisors to hear more about the programming and identify what issue area they would like to focus on during the summit (climate, poverty, civic engagement, mental health).

Who Can Attend

The summit is open to high school students in grades 9-12 who have an interest in civic action and community engagement and are traveling with an educator from their school attending the concurrent 2025 NNSP Annual Conference. We ask that schools bring a cohort of 4-8 students.

The NNSP Annual Conference serves all educators interested in the intersection of community engagement, social impact, and traditional academic curriculum. It runs concurrently with the student summit. Educators attending the conference will take part in a professional development experience that is unique to community engagement and social impact work in K-12. Moreover, NNSP attendees serve as chaperones and faculty advisors to their school’s summit delegation. Find out more about the adult conference here.

For students to qualify for summit participation, a faculty advisor must attend the NNSP conference to gain critical insights to support students with their projects when they return to school.  The summit and adult conference culminate with a student presentation gallery during which each school group presents to educators their vision statements, strategies, and implementation plans to make an impact in their community.

Registration Information

Registration for the 2025 NAIS Student Civic Leadership Summit is now open. The summit will take place at a hotel in the Washington, DC, metro area. Programming will take place from Wednesday, February 5, through Friday, February 7, 2025, with an optional early arrival package for Tuesday, February 4.

Pricing

  • $1,300 per student (NAIS member rate)
  • $1,450 per student (nonmember rate)
Tuition covers all programming, evening activities, meals, hotel accommodations, and daytime and nightime supervision and security. *The optional early arrival package is $200 per student.

Registration Process

An initial deposit is due to NAIS by August 1, 2024. Register here. After registering for the NAIS Student Civic Leadership Summit, stay tuned for details from our partner Close Up on next steps in the process. Close Up will reach out in the fall with additional program details and student registration information, and this email will come from [email protected]. Final payment will be due to Close Up by October 15, 2024.

Additional Information

For more details and FAQs about the event, visit the Close Up website.

About Close Up and NNSP

Longtime partners before merging in 2023, Close Up and NNSP share a steadfast commitment to civics and community engagement. Together, they have over 50 years of experience partnering with school districts nationwide to serve more than one million students and educators through experiential learning programs in our nation’s capital and in local communities, professional development, and curriculum design and consulting. Their goal is to connect what students learn in class to the real world around them, help them articulate their own views and listen to those of others, and engage with people of different backgrounds with tolerance and understanding. To learn more, visit closeup.org.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be received in writing to [email protected]. Cancellations received up to 60 days prior to the start date of the program (December 6, 2024), will be refunded, less a $500 fee.  Cancellations after December 6 are nonrefundable.

Contact Information

Please contact [email protected] or 202-973-9700 with any questions.