The Carlos and Malú Alvarez 2021 Academic WorldQuest National Competition is scheduled for April 29-30, 2022. Please check back regularly for announcements, updates, and resources.
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 mission of Academic WorldQuest is to close the gap.
Participation
If you are a Council staff member, Please see the 2021 AWQ Study Guide, Operations Paper, Teachers Guide, and Flyer for useful information about launching an Academic WorldQuest™ program for the 2020-2021 AWQ season. There is no minimum or maximum number of teams that are required for local AWQ competitions, and WACA encourages Councils to engage as many regional high schools as possible. Teams must consist of four high school students who are passionate about current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures. Typically, teams prepare in an after-school setting over the course of several months.
Find a list of all participating Councils, local competition dates, and links for more details here!
AWQ Study Guide and Topics
The World Affairs Councils of America’s AWQ Study Guide is the primary resource to help students and teachers prepare for the topics covered in timed question-and-answer AWQ competitions hosted by local Councils. WACA will distribute local competition questions with all Council AWQ contacts. Councils may adapt the topics (and questions) to align with their local programming initiatives. However, using WACA's designated topics and questions will allow your local team to be more competitive at the National Competition in April. Typically, teams prepare in an after-school setting over the course of several months.
The AWQ Official Study Guide is also an essential resource for the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition, hosted by WACA every April in Washington, DC. 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 likeminded peers from around the United States. All participating Councils must fill out a National Competition Registration Form with the winning team's information immediately following the completion of its local AWQ competition.
2020-2021 AWQ Topics
- Where Climate and Migration Meet
- Afghanistan: End of the 20-Year U.S.-Led Intervention
- Human-Centered Agenda to the Future of Work
- CDC and the Global Health Agenda
- Technology and Democracy: Threat or Promise?
- Great Decisions
- Global Supply Chains and National Security
- Persian Gulf Security Issues
- Brexit and the European Union
- Struggles Over the Melting Arctic
- China’s Role in Africa
- The Korean Peninsula
- Roles of International Organizations in a Global Pandemic
- The End of Globalization?
- 21st Century Money: Dollars to Digital Currencies
- Working for Peace Through Legacies of War: The Case of Vietnam
- Insecurity in China’s Neighborhood
- Current Events
2019 AWQ National Competition Highlights
- For a list of 2019 winners, click here to read the official WACA press release
- A big thank you to the Friday evening Welcome Reception host the Qatar-America Institute, and the 2019 AWQ National Competition host the United States Institute of Peace
- A special thank to 2019 AWQ's Presenting Sponsor: the Embassy of the State of Qatar
- Click here to view all highlights from the 2019 AWQ National Competition
