What is Academic WorldQuest?

Academic WorldQuest (AWQ) is a flagship program of the national network of World Affairs Councils, located in more than 90 communities across the country. It is a team game testing high school students’ knowledge of international affairs, current events, human geography, world history, and culture.

After months of studying the ten topics, approximately 4,000 students across the country participate in competitions hosted by local World Affairs Councils. Winning teams are invited to represent their high school, city, and local council at the spirited national competition, held in the spring each year at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, DC.

In the game, four-person teams compete by answering rounds of questions projected onto a screen. Teams will have 45 seconds at the local competition to answer each question. A full competition is 100 questions, divided into ten rounds with distinct thematic categories. The winning team is the team with the most right answers.

For more information, please call 949-354-3180 or email us at orangecounty@worldaffairscouncil.org

Schools & Students:
The 2023-2024 local Academic Quest Competition will be held at Chapman University. Local Orange County winners will go on to represent the county at the national competition in Washington D.C. Topics for this years competition are listed below, however only schools/teams that register will receive the full study guide from the World Affairs Council of America.

Local Competition:
Location: Sandhu Conference Center, Chapman University, 571 N Grand St, Orange, CA 92867

Date: Saturday, March 16th, 2024

Time: 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Winners: 

First Place: El Dorado High School (Placentia) Team Gold

Second Place:  Marina High School (Huntington Beach)

Third Place: El Dorado High School (Placentia) Team Hawk

National Competition:
Location: United States Institute for Peace, Washington, D.C.

Date: April 20, 2024

*El Dorado High School Team Gold won 2nd place out of 40 teams across the United States! 

2023-2024 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
Please enroll your team to receive the study guide. Email Krista Seitz, Programs Manager at krista@worldaffairscouncil.org

For more information, please call 949-253-5751 or email us at orangecounty@worldaffairscouncil.org