NAIS-Close Up Student Events

NAIS is pleased to partner with the Close Up Foundation to offer two powerful civic leadership experiences for high school students and educators in the 2025–2026 school year. 

These programs are designed to foster student leadership, encourage critical thinking, and build the skills needed to engage in meaningful, solutions-oriented dialogue on today’s most pressing issues.  

Registration is now open.

 

From Classrooms to Careers: How AI is Shaping Our Paths 

A NextGen Roundtable student deliberation hosted by Close Up, NAIS, and the Stanford University Deliberative Democracy Lab 

December 3–6, 2025  | Houston

Register Now

This experience invites high school students to critically examine the role of artificial intelligence in their lives and their future careers. Through expert panels, facilitated dialogue, and consensus-building exercises, students will gain the tools to lead meaningful conversations back at school and beyond. Learn more here.
 
NAIS will concurrently host the 2025 NAIS Symposium on AI and the Future of Learning, a two-day summit for future-ready school leaders to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence for education. Leading voices in the field will share how AI can empower educators, strengthen school systems, and enhance student outcomes. Connect and collaborate with education leaders and AI experts and investigate the practical and theoretical uses of AI tools. 

 

NAIS Student Civic Leadership Summit 

In partnership with Close Up and in conjunction with the NNSP Annual Conference on Community & Civic Engagement 

January 27–30, 2026 | Washington, DC 

Register Now

Help students turn passion into action. This summit brings together student leaders from across the country to explore civic engagement strategies, collaborate on vision statements, and present actionable plans for change in their school communities.  

The summit runs in tandem with the NNSP Annual Conference, where attending educators will engage in their own learning and connection around community and civic engagement best practices. Learn more here.