Academic WorldQuest (AWQ)

A fun, friendly, and powerful team-based knowledge competition designed for high school students.

Get the 2020-2021 AWQ Study Guide

TEAM REGISTRATION can be completed HERE. Registration forms must be submitted to us by the appropriate representative at your school.

Please see the 2021 AWQ Teachers Guide, Study Guide and Flyer for useful information about launching an Academic WorldQuest program for the 2020-2021 season.

WorldQuest 2021

We thank Saint Louis University and the Boeing Institute of International Business for their generous sponsorship of Academic WorldQuest.

Join us locally Feb. 25, 2021 for the annual St. Louis competition to be held virtually.

There will be three winning teams eligible to compete in the National Academic WorldQuest, also to be held virtually, with teams around the country April 17, 2021. For more information and the study guide, please go here!

Our Mission to Engage & Educate

World Affairs Council of St. Louis administers the Academic WorldQuest (AWQ) program for the St. Louis region as a part of our mission.

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 purpose of Academic WorldQuest is to close the gap.

Nearly 5,000 students compete in AWQ contests hosted by 50 World Affairs Councils in their states. Annually, in April, winning teams convene in Washington, D.C. for the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition hosted by World Affairs Councils of America.