What is Academic WorldQuest
Academic WorldQuest is a flagship program of the World Affairs Councils system. The game was invented by the
Charlotte Council and is now widely played at the adult and high school levels around the country. It is a team game
testing competitors’ knowledge of international affairs, geography, history, and culture. The World Affairs Council of America started the national competition in Washington, DC, in March 2003. Participants come from
high schools thatwork with the World Affairs Councils network. The 2026 Academic WorldQuest National
Competition takes place in Washington, DC from April 27 - 28, 2026.
2026 AWQ round topics are:
Pop Culture and Soft Power in International Relations
The FIFA World Cup
Migration and Immigration
The U.S. Constitution and Foreign Policy
The Belt and Road Initiative
Tariffs and Trade
Coffee and Chocolate: A Global Perspective
Nuclear Policy Issues
Focus Country: Australia
Current Events
Read image text: Academic World Quest 2026 local flyer
Text from the published WACLV graphic. Historical dates and claims remain attributed to that source.
Academic World Quest 2026. February 21st, 2026.
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. Some 50 World Affairs Councils hold local Academic WorldQuest (AWQ) competitions for high school students in their communities.
Register your team: Four 9-12 grade high school students per team.
Review the Guide: Consult the study guide to review the pre-selected topics.
Compete! Represent your school at the competition.
Go to Washington D.C.: The winning team will represent their school at nation’s capital.
Learn more at https://worldaffairscouncils.org/what-we-do/academic-worldquest/. APPLY NOW.
Instagram: @waclv_. Website: www.waclv.org. World Affairs Councils of America. World Affairs Council Las Vegas.
Past 2026 local-program flyer. Printed application wording is historical, not evidence that registration is now open. The QR code accompanies the printed Learn more address; its encoded payload has not been independently decoded. National participation counts are preserved as printed, not reverified as current.
In collaboration with the Academic WorldQuest Task Force, and in consultation with partners, this year’s topics contextualize world affairs for students, bringing history, culture, and concepts into today’s most pressing issues.
What to Know:The questions test their knowledge of current affairs, world leaders, geography, recent history, flags, international organizations, countries, regions, the world economy, culture, religion,and more.
Teamwork:Academic WorldQuest is a team game testing high school students' knowledge of international affairs. The competition is played between four-person teams who answer rounds of questions
projected by PowerPoint onto
a screen.
How toSucceed:A full competition is 100 questions, 10 rounds of 10 questions per round. The winning team is the team with the highest number ofcorrect answers.
Read image text: Academic WorldQuest identity
Text from the published WACLV graphic. Historical dates and claims remain attributed to that source.
Academic WorldQuest.
Program identity graphic.
How Does AWQ Impact My Future?Academic WorldQuest offers numerous benefits, including preparing you for future international studies and careers in the global economy. The opportunity to meet representatives from area companies and universities and hear about future international opportunities.
Who Participates:Over 3,000 students compete in AWQ contests organized by 40+ World Affairs Councils hosts in their states. The national competition is attended by 200-250 of the nation's most promising high school students each year, along with their parents, teachers, and chaperones.
For More Information:If you are a student or teacher and would like more information or to register a team, please
contact us today.
Proudly Affiliated With
