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ACADEMIC WORLDQUEST™inspires a culture of global engagement in schools across the United States.
The World Affairs Councils of America’s flagship youth education program is a fun, fast-paced team competition for high school students. Academic WorldQuest tests players’ knowledge of current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures.
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2026 Academic WorldQuest Regional Competition!
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Pictured: All of our brilliant 2025 AWQ participants, from AC Flora High School, River Bluff High School, and the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & Technology
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Become a Sustaining AWQ Sponsor:
Download the AWQ Sponsor Package Here!
Download the AWQ Sponsor Package Here!
If you plan to enter a team for the Columbia World Affairs Council regional competition, and a chance to compete at the National AWQ in Washington, DC, please fill out the following registration form here by January 15, 2026.
Questions? Please email, [email protected], or call 803.348.4490. We make registration and participation easy and are here to provide more details and answer any questions!
Our regional competition usually takes place in late-February/ early March on the University of South Carolina campus.
Info for Schools
Over 3,000 students compete in AWQ contests organized by 40+ World Affairs Councils hosts in their states. Prepare yourselves for the increasingly interconnected and complex world of the 21st century and show what you know!
Typically, teams prepare in an after-school setting over the course of several months.
Please read on for more information about Academic WorldQuest! The 2026 Study Guide, 2026 AWQ Timeline, and more info on the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition held in Washington, D.C. can be found on the World Affairs Councils of America site here: https://worldaffairscouncils.org/what-we-do/academic-worldquest/
Questions? Please email, [email protected], or call 803.348.4490. We make registration and participation easy and are here to provide more details and answer any questions!
Our regional competition usually takes place in late-February/ early March on the University of South Carolina campus.
Info for Schools
Over 3,000 students compete in AWQ contests organized by 40+ World Affairs Councils hosts in their states. Prepare yourselves for the increasingly interconnected and complex world of the 21st century and show what you know!
Typically, teams prepare in an after-school setting over the course of several months.
Please read on for more information about Academic WorldQuest! The 2026 Study Guide, 2026 AWQ Timeline, and more info on the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition held in Washington, D.C. can be found on the World Affairs Councils of America site here: https://worldaffairscouncils.org/what-we-do/academic-worldquest/
What is Academic WorldQuest?
Academic WorldQuest™ is a fun, friendly, and powerful team-based knowledge competition designed for high school students keen to learn about international affairs. This flagship program involves both our CWAC locally sponsored AWQ contest as well as the AWQ championship in the nation's capital. Students, with teacher guidance, need to be prepared for the increasingly interconnected and complex world of the 21st century and Academic WorldQuest lets them show what they know!
Originating as a global trivia contest created by the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, Academic WorldQuest has been developed by the World Affairs Councils of America as a flagship youth education program, now in its 23th year. WACA has expanded the program to some 50 Councils that host local AWQ competitions annually that engage nearly 5,000 high school students nationwide. The program culminates in the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition in the spring in Washington, DC.
Prepare yourselves for the increasingly interconnected and complex world of the 21st century and show what you know!
Purpose
Preparing the next generation of leaders, scholars, and decision-makers to thrive in a complex and rapidly changing world - where our national interests are intertwined with the global community - is one of the greatest challenges facing our country. It requires a renewed enthusiasm for global studies in our high schools. Too many American students today fall behind their counterparts from other countries in their knowledge and understanding of world history, geography, and current international events. The quiz competition encourages students and teachers to work together in challenges that test student’s international relations knowledge.
The mission of Academic WorldQuest is to close the gap.
Participation
The Columbia World Affairs Council invites you and your high school to be a part of the 2026 Academic WorldQuest Regional Competition. We are excited about this year’s competition and we want you and your students to participate!
The competition permits teams of four students (plus alternates), at any high school grade level, who are passionate about current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures. Each team will need a sponsor, such as a teacher or administrator. Typically, teams prepare in an after-school setting over the course of several months. The general info on the local and national competitions, competition topics, and study guide for this year are now available! Please see the AWQ Study Guide and Topic section below.
Preparation for Academic WorldQuest allows students to greatly expand their understanding of global issues, develop their ability to think globally, and hopefully build a desire to address these challenges in their future endeavors. We are always excited about this competition, and we want you and your students to be a part of it! If you know any teachers who would be interested in sponsoring a team, please spread the word!
Do you think your high school has what it takes to become the CWAC’s 2025 Academic WorldQuest champions?
If so, please fill out the following registration form here by January 15, 2026.
For more information and to register a team, please contact:
Dickson Monk
Executive Director
Columbia World Affairs Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 803.348.4490
Student Testimony
My name is Amanda Angeles. I am currently a senior political science major at UofSC and an intern for the Columbia World Affairs Council. I was on the Academic WorldQuest team at my high school from 2016-2019. I joined as a sophomore in high school because I wanted to explore my interests in global politics. Over those three years, I learned about topics such as climate change, refugees and migration, ASEAN, global conflict and so much more. Preparing for the Academic WorldQuest Competition helped make me a better student. I was able to apply what I was learning for AWQ to my classes, and I felt more engaged in my classes after joining AWQ.
In my second year competing in the Academic WorldQuest Competition, my team scored first place for our district and had the opportunity to attend the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition. For me and one of my teammates, it was our first time ever on a plane and the furthest we had traveled from South Carolina. As a first-generation college student, having these opportunities in high school had such an impact on my life. During our time there, we were able to visit the Capital Building, Supreme Court, the US Institute of Peace, and many other places that I would not have been able to visit otherwise. While in DC, I also decided that I wanted to major in political science. I am very grateful for all of the experiences and opportunities that participating in Academic WorldQuest led me to.
AWQ Study Guide and Topics
The AWQ Study Guide is provided to prepare students for the competition. It also serves as great material for classrooms!
The World Affairs Councils of America’s AWQ 2025 Official Study Guide is the primary resource to help you and your students prepare for the topics covered in the timed question-and-answer AWQ local competition hosted CWAC.
The AWQ Study Guide is also an essential resource for the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition. Winning teams are invited to represent their high school, city, and local Council at the national AWQ championship weekend, which includes the competition, unique programming planned to enhance the global education experience, and an opportunity to meet and engage with more than 250 like-minded peers from around the United States.
Academic WorldQuest™ is a fun, friendly, and powerful team-based knowledge competition designed for high school students keen to learn about international affairs. This flagship program involves both our CWAC locally sponsored AWQ contest as well as the AWQ championship in the nation's capital. Students, with teacher guidance, need to be prepared for the increasingly interconnected and complex world of the 21st century and Academic WorldQuest lets them show what they know!
Originating as a global trivia contest created by the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, Academic WorldQuest has been developed by the World Affairs Councils of America as a flagship youth education program, now in its 23th year. WACA has expanded the program to some 50 Councils that host local AWQ competitions annually that engage nearly 5,000 high school students nationwide. The program culminates in the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition in the spring in Washington, DC.
Prepare yourselves for the increasingly interconnected and complex world of the 21st century and show what you know!
Purpose
Preparing the next generation of leaders, scholars, and decision-makers to thrive in a complex and rapidly changing world - where our national interests are intertwined with the global community - is one of the greatest challenges facing our country. It requires a renewed enthusiasm for global studies in our high schools. Too many American students today fall behind their counterparts from other countries in their knowledge and understanding of world history, geography, and current international events. The quiz competition encourages students and teachers to work together in challenges that test student’s international relations knowledge.
The mission of Academic WorldQuest is to close the gap.
Participation
The Columbia World Affairs Council invites you and your high school to be a part of the 2026 Academic WorldQuest Regional Competition. We are excited about this year’s competition and we want you and your students to participate!
The competition permits teams of four students (plus alternates), at any high school grade level, who are passionate about current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures. Each team will need a sponsor, such as a teacher or administrator. Typically, teams prepare in an after-school setting over the course of several months. The general info on the local and national competitions, competition topics, and study guide for this year are now available! Please see the AWQ Study Guide and Topic section below.
Preparation for Academic WorldQuest allows students to greatly expand their understanding of global issues, develop their ability to think globally, and hopefully build a desire to address these challenges in their future endeavors. We are always excited about this competition, and we want you and your students to be a part of it! If you know any teachers who would be interested in sponsoring a team, please spread the word!
Do you think your high school has what it takes to become the CWAC’s 2025 Academic WorldQuest champions?
If so, please fill out the following registration form here by January 15, 2026.
For more information and to register a team, please contact:
Dickson Monk
Executive Director
Columbia World Affairs Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 803.348.4490
Student Testimony
My name is Amanda Angeles. I am currently a senior political science major at UofSC and an intern for the Columbia World Affairs Council. I was on the Academic WorldQuest team at my high school from 2016-2019. I joined as a sophomore in high school because I wanted to explore my interests in global politics. Over those three years, I learned about topics such as climate change, refugees and migration, ASEAN, global conflict and so much more. Preparing for the Academic WorldQuest Competition helped make me a better student. I was able to apply what I was learning for AWQ to my classes, and I felt more engaged in my classes after joining AWQ.
In my second year competing in the Academic WorldQuest Competition, my team scored first place for our district and had the opportunity to attend the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition. For me and one of my teammates, it was our first time ever on a plane and the furthest we had traveled from South Carolina. As a first-generation college student, having these opportunities in high school had such an impact on my life. During our time there, we were able to visit the Capital Building, Supreme Court, the US Institute of Peace, and many other places that I would not have been able to visit otherwise. While in DC, I also decided that I wanted to major in political science. I am very grateful for all of the experiences and opportunities that participating in Academic WorldQuest led me to.
AWQ Study Guide and Topics
The AWQ Study Guide is provided to prepare students for the competition. It also serves as great material for classrooms!
The World Affairs Councils of America’s AWQ 2025 Official Study Guide is the primary resource to help you and your students prepare for the topics covered in the timed question-and-answer AWQ local competition hosted CWAC.
The AWQ Study Guide is also an essential resource for the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition. Winning teams are invited to represent their high school, city, and local Council at the national AWQ championship weekend, which includes the competition, unique programming planned to enhance the global education experience, and an opportunity to meet and engage with more than 250 like-minded peers from around the United States.
The Carlos and Malú Alvarez
2026 Academic WorldQuest
National Competition
APRIL 27-28, 2026
Visit the World Affairs Councils of America's National Competition website here:
https://worldaffairscouncils.org/what-we-do/academic-worldquest/
The World Affairs Councils of America 24th annual Academic WorldQuest National Competition
for high school students is scheduled to be held in-person in Washington D.C.
The national competition is attended by more than 250 of the nation's most promising high school students each year, along with their parents, teachers, and chaperones. The 4-hour AWQ competition is a unique opportunity for students to visit the nation's capital, perhaps for the first time. A weekend of substantive programming is included to enhance the experience. See highlights from a previous Academic WorldQuest in the video below!
https://worldaffairscouncils.org/what-we-do/academic-worldquest/
The World Affairs Councils of America 24th annual Academic WorldQuest National Competition
for high school students is scheduled to be held in-person in Washington D.C.
The national competition is attended by more than 250 of the nation's most promising high school students each year, along with their parents, teachers, and chaperones. The 4-hour AWQ competition is a unique opportunity for students to visit the nation's capital, perhaps for the first time. A weekend of substantive programming is included to enhance the experience. See highlights from a previous Academic WorldQuest in the video below!
2025 AWQ Local Competition
On Saturday, March 15, over 40 students compromising 10 teams from AC Flora, River Bluff, and the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & Technology (GSMST, who traveled from Lawrenceville, GA) participated in CWAC's local Academic WorldQuest Competition at the University of South Carolina's Walker Institute for International & Area Studies in Gambrell Hall. The student's world affairs knowledge was very impressive, the competition was fierce, and great time was had by all! The participants should be as proud as we are of their hard work studying for the challenging games - it showed!
2025 Top 3 team placements and winners!
- 3rd Place with 37/60 points: AC Flora Team #1
- 2nd Place with 41/60 points: GSMST "The Girls"
- 1st Place, who will take the gold to the AWQ Nationals, with 44/60 points: GSMST Team # 3!
THANK YOU to our 2025 Columbia World Affairs Council Academic WorldQuest Sponsors!
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Congratulations to our past local competition winners!
CWAC's 2025 AWQ Winners! Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & Technology, Team #3!
2022: River Bluff High School
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2019: Ridge View High School
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2018: Dutch Fork High School
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2017: Ridge View High School
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Watch the AWQ 2021 USIP Keynote and announcement of the winning teams!
Sponsored by:
