NNSP & Close Up Merger Announcement
Dear friend of NNSP,
Over the past three years, the National Network of Schools in Partnership has partnered with Close Up Foundation. Through this developing relationship, we were able to launch our IMPACT programming for students ages 12-18, introduce a high school student component to our Annual Conference, and create the Youth Impact Summit in partnership with both Close Up and Stanford University. While creating these new opportunities for NNSP schools, we also had the opportunity to add depth to the civics programming at Close Up; creating opportunities for thousands of students each year to explore their notion of purpose, develop their skills as changemakers and more closely understand the notion of having an impact on a community.
It is with great pleasure that as a result of this partnership, NNSP and the Close Up Foundation will be merging, effective July 1, 2023.
NNSP will remain intact as it exists today and will operate as a division of Close Up. I am fortunate enough to continue my journey as the Executive Director at NNSP and will also become a special advisor to Close Up as we continue to create meaningful opportunities for students and teachers around civics, impact, and community engagement. In addition, Laura Day, our invaluable Senior Program Consultant, will also continue to work with us and be an integral part of the NNSP and Close Up team.
The member experience at NNSP will remain the same. We will continue to host our webinars, have our annual conference, conduct our Learning Cohorts, conduct Degrees of Impact in the summer and we will most certainly maintain the intimate network feel that is a cornerstone of who we are.
What will change is that we will have unlimited access to the resources at Close Up. Including, but not limited to, their more than 50 years of experience in the civic and experiential education space, their relationships and substantial reputation with thousands of schools across the country, and their deep commitment to enriching student opportunities and experiences.
I look forward to the opportunities this merger gives NNSP to expand its scope, its reach, and its impact on our future generations of leaders and I look forward to continuing to work with you in that endeavor.
Sincerely,
Blake Kohn
Executive Director
National Network of Schools in Partnership