About Academic WorldQuest

Since 2003, the World Affairs Council of St. Louis has tested St. Louis high school students on their knowledge of international affairs through the World Affairs Councils of America’s flagship youth education program, Academic WorldQuest. 

Academic WorldQuest, presented by Saint Louis University, is a team competition that tests high school students’ knowledge of international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures. 

Regional Competition – February 28, 2024

Join us locally at Saint Louis University on February 28, 2024 for the annual St Louis competition to be held in-person. The winning team will represent the World Affairs Council of St. Louis in Washington D.C. during the national AWQ championship weekend. The National Competition will take place on April 20, 2024. The World Affairs Council of STL will pay for flights and lodging for the team’s trip.

Format of AWQ

Each team is comprised of 4 students, plus an alternate (if possible), and a team sponsor. The sponsor is typically a teacher in the social studies department, but if there is an interested teacher outside the social studies department, or a parent of one of the student participants, they may be the team sponsor.

Info for Schools and Teachers

Over 130 students compete in AWQ each year and nearly 5,000 students compete at a national level. Pledge your school’s participation in the competition HERE NOW. Teams consist of four students. You do not need to know which students will be participating at this time, just put N/A under the student’s name and email in the form for now. Updates can be made at a later date. Let’s inspire the next generation of world changers right here in St. Louis

2024 Academic WorldQuest Topics:

As always, Academic WorldQuest will challenge participants with a diverse array of topics that encompass global affairs. This year’s topics are as follows:

1. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): Alliance and Collective Defense in a Changing World
2. Demographic Dividends – Population Shift in Africa
3. The Global South
4. Sports and Diplomacy
5. Country in Focus: South Korea
6. Promoting a Green Europe
7. Women’s Contributions to Track II Diplomacy
8. Navigating AI: The Global Workforce
9. Great Decisions
10. Current Events 

Note: The regional competition will not include Current Events and Great Decisions as topics, but we encourage students to study them, nonetheless.