World Affairs Council Announces 2015-2016 Academic WorldQuest HS Program

Academic WorldQuest

Academic WorldQuest is the flagship youth education program of the Tennessee World Affairs Council (TN WAC) and the national network of World Affairs Councils. It is a team game testing high school students’ knowledge of international affairs.

The TN WAC is organizing a WorldQuest competition for Tennessee high school students to encourage global affairs awareness education.  The Council will assist teams in preparation and organize the state championship match, hosted at Belmont University DATE/TIME TBD.  The winning team in Tennessee will advance to the National Championship match in Washington (APRIL 23, 2016), with transportation and lodging provided by the Tennessee World Affairs Council.

• 2015-16 Tennessee AWQ Program Information
• 2015-16 AWQ Study Guide (PDF)
• 2015-16 Competition Rules – How to Play
• 2015-16 National Competition Details
• AWQ Sample Questions from National Championship (PDF)
• AWQ Team Pledge Form (PDF)

 

 Parking:

TBD

Getting Started

This web site provides all of the information and materials necessary to start a team. However, feel free to contact the TN WAC at any time for assistance.

What you need is four high school students committed to following through the preparations and available to participate in the State Championship match and to travel to Washington, DC for the APRIL 23, 2016 National Championship, if a winner in the state match. You also need a coach/chaperone to coordinate the team’s preparation and participation.

Establish study and practice routines for the team. Review the sample questions from previous national championship matches (available on the TN WAC web site) to become familiar with the style and level of difficulty to be expected in the competitions. Contact the TN WAC office for updates on the Academic WorldQuest program and resources, and assistance. Sign up through the TN WAC web site for the email list — be sure to check the Academic WorldQuest news item from among the email options.

ACADEMIC WORLDQUEST 2015-2016 STUDY GUIDE

Rules and Regulations

A team consists of four primary teammates who are currently high school students (freshman – senior year). No more than four players per team will be able to compete in the competition. Teams may designate alternate teammates to replace one or more of the four primary teammates in the case of sickness or other circumstances which would prevent one of the four primary teammates from competing in the Tennessee Championship competition. Please note that the TN WAC may be unable to send alternate teammates to accompany the primary team to the National Competition. Once the State Championship match has begun, no substitutions of alternate teammates may be made. Teams of less than four are allowed to compete, but strongly discouraged. If the winning team from the State Championship match is unable to compete in the National Competition and has no alternate teammates, the second place team may compete in its place.   If there are too many teams to be accommodated by the venue the Tennessee World Affairs Council may arrange semifinal matches to produce an appropriate number of teams for the championship match.

Team Composition

Teams consist of four high school age students and need not be from the same school. Home school students are eligible to participate with teammates from high schools or teams formed with other home school students. There is no limit to the number of teams that can be organized in any individual school.  The Council wishes to make the WorldQuest experience available to as many students as possible. Contact the Council with questions about eligibility. The Council will be the final authority in determining participants’ eligibility.

2015-16 Categories

This year’s categories focus on the most critical global and U.S. foreign policy issues:

• NATO
• Asia Matters for America
• International Trade and Finance
• Sultanate of Oman
• Privacy in the Digital Age
• The Arctic
• Food Security
• Organization of American States
• Great Decisions
• Current Events

Study Guide

A study guide is provided by the World Affairs Councils of America [Link Here] with detailed resources on each of these categories. All questions for the competition are drawn from the resources in this study guide.

Practice Round

The TN WAC will post the names of teams as they register to facilitate contact for local practice rounds. If there is sufficient interest the Council may schedule a practice match in advance of the State Championship competition in Nashville. Details will be announced on the web site, through the TN WAC email list and by email to the team coach/chaperone.

Cost

A fee of $80 per team is requested to cover the costs of event hosting and competition materials. The Tennessee World Affairs Council will provide transportation and lodging for the State Championship winning team to travel to Washington for the National Championship match on APRIL 23, 2013.

What are the benefits?

Aside from allowing your team to prove that they are the most knowledgeable students in their school, their state, or their nation, they have the opportunity to win a trip to Washington, DC to compete in the National Academic WorldQuest contest. The Tennessee World Affairs Council will sponsor the Tennessee Championship WorldQuest team in Washington including transportation and lodging. The Council will also set up visits to Washington sites and organizations dealing in foreign affairs, such as embassies, think tanks and so forth depending on availability. [In the past these visits have included meeting with US Senators and Congressmen from Tennessee, foreign embassies, the World Bank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and other centers of interest for global affairs enthusiasts.

Prizes for the 2016 national competition:

Prizes for the Tennessee State Championship match will be announced.

Sounds great! What do I need to do to sign up?

Fill out the registration form and mail it to the Tennessee World Affairs Council with a check or money order for the registration fee of $80. The deadline to pledge/register a team will be announced by November 1, 2015. Registration forms must be postmarked by the deadline date. All teams will be sent a confirmation email as soon as their registration form and payment are received. If you do not receive confirmation by February 1, 2016 contact the Council.  [LINK TO REGISTRATION FORM]

Send registration and payment to:
Tennessee World Affairs Council
c/o 309 Church Street, #107.
Nashville, TN 37201

For more information contact the Tennessee Academic WorldQuest chair at info@TNWAC.org or Patrick Ryan (email: PatRyan@TNWAC.org / Cell: 931-261-2353)

Registration Fee Payment OnLine

The registration fee can be paid online through the TNWAC Paypal account. You can use major credit cards or a Paypal account — use care in selecting the appropriate payment method. Click “Buy Now” link below.

Please make sure you complete and submit a registration form even if you make payment online. Indicate on the form that you have paid online. Thank you!

Sponsors and Donors

The Tennessee World Affairs Council is able to bring these important programs to our communities and schools through the generosity of our members and the community. Please contact us if you would like to be a sponsor of Academic WorldQuest. To make a donation CLICK HERE.

The Tennessee World Affairs Council has been granted charity status in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by U.S. law.