Colorado Close Up!

When people hear "Leader's Challenge," they tend to immediately think of IGNITE, our original program dating all the way back to 2000. Indeed, the two were synonymous for several years, so it's a logical conclusion to come to.

But there is so much more to Leader's Challenge, including both Global Challenge and Colorado Close Up. We sometimes joke that CCU is the red-headed stepchild of the organization, but in truth, it has a long and storied history dating all the way back to 1979, and is therefore more akin to a big sister than a stepchild.

Colorado Close Up is one of the state’s largest civic education initiatives, bringing students from across Colorado to the state Capital for three action-packed days.

While visiting Denver, students have the opportunity to observe the state legislature and courts, meet with elected officials from each branch of government, and work with lobbyists and business leaders to discuss how they can impact their communities.

Participants return home from Colorado Close Up with the knowledge and skills to identify problems and draw on local resources to create long-term, sustainable change in their communities.

Having recently taken over CCU, I have a vested interest in seeing it grow and succeed, which is why we've created a brand new video designed to showcase just how awesome the experience is. Check it out!



Erin Riska
Program Manager, Colorado Close Up