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ACADEMIC WORLDQUEST™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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ACADEMIC WORLDQUEST
We are excited for the 2024-2025 Academic WorldQuest season!
If you plan to enter a team for the Columbia World Affairs Council regional competition, and a chance to compete at the National AWQ this April in Washington, DC, please fill out the following registration form here by Friday, December 15, 2024.
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 date is forthcoming, but will likely take place in late-February 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.
The National Academic WorldQuest DC Experience will take place Sunday, April 27- Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
The National Competition will be April 28, 2025. Winning teams are invited to represent their high school, city, and local Council during 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 approximately 250 like-minded peers from around the United States.
Please read on for more information about Academic WorldQuest and last year's competition. We look forward to very fun competition and sending our best & brightest to represent at the Nationals!
If you plan to enter a team for the Columbia World Affairs Council regional competition, and a chance to compete at the National AWQ this April in Washington, DC, please fill out the following registration form here by Friday, December 15, 2024.
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 date is forthcoming, but will likely take place in late-February 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.
The National Academic WorldQuest DC Experience will take place Sunday, April 27- Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
The National Competition will be April 28, 2025. Winning teams are invited to represent their high school, city, and local Council during 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 approximately 250 like-minded peers from around the United States.
Please read on for more information about Academic WorldQuest and last year's competition. We look forward to very fun competition and sending our best & brightest to represent at the Nationals!
The 2025 AWQ Study Guide is here!
The moment your students have all been waiting for: this year’s Academic WorldQuest study guide is here.
And this year, we are excited to announce that the study guide has moved into a fully digital format on the WACA website—this means no more PDF revisions, confusing broken links, or need for a PDF reader software for your students.
And this year, we are excited to announce that the study guide has moved into a fully digital format on the WACA website—this means no more PDF revisions, confusing broken links, or need for a PDF reader software for your students.
CWAC 2023-2024 AWQ Competition
Partnership with the University of South Carolina's Walker Institute of International and Area Studies
Columbia World Affairs Council AcademicWorldQuest 2024 took place
on Saturday, February 24 at Gambrell Hall, University of South Carolina
on Saturday, February 24 at Gambrell Hall, University of South Carolina
AWQ 2024 TOPICS
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): Alliance and Collective Defense in a Changing World
Demographic Dividends - Population Shift in Africa
The Global South
Sports and Diplomacy
Country in Focus: South Korea
Promoting a Green Europe
Women's Contributions to Track II Diplomacy
Navigating AI: The Global Workforce
Great Decisions
Current Events
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): Alliance and Collective Defense in a Changing World
Demographic Dividends - Population Shift in Africa
The Global South
Sports and Diplomacy
Country in Focus: South Korea
Promoting a Green Europe
Women's Contributions to Track II Diplomacy
Navigating AI: The Global Workforce
Great Decisions
Current Events
THANK YOU to our 2023-2024 Columbia World Affairs Council Academic WorldQuest Sponsor!
Flyers to share: General Interest | For Teachers
What is it?
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 2024-2025 Academic WorldQuest 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 2023-2024 Academic WorldQuest champions?
If so, please fill out the following registration form here by Friday, December 15, 2024.
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 2025 Study Guide is here! Access the guide online: https://worldaffairscouncils.org/2025awqstudyguide/
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 2024-2025 Academic WorldQuest 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 2023-2024 Academic WorldQuest champions?
If so, please fill out the following registration form here by Friday, December 15, 2024.
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 2025 Study Guide is here! Access the guide online: https://worldaffairscouncils.org/2025awqstudyguide/
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
2025 Academic WorldQuest
National Competition
APRIL 27-29, 2025
Event Details Coming Soon!
The World Affairs Councils of America 23th 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 last year's Academic WorldQuest in the video below!
Visit the World Affairs Councils of America's National Competition website here:
https://worldaffairscouncils.org/what-we-do/academic-worldquest/
For more information, please contact Ria Kim at [email protected] | 803.348.4490
The World Affairs Councils of America 23th 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 last year's Academic WorldQuest in the video below!
Visit the World Affairs Councils of America's National Competition website here:
https://worldaffairscouncils.org/what-we-do/academic-worldquest/
For more information, please contact Ria Kim at [email protected] | 803.348.4490
Congratulations to our past local competition winners!
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:
