Academic WorldQuest Competition

What is WorldQuest?

Academic WorldQuest, the World Affairs Councils of America’s flagship youth education program, is a fun, fast-paced team competition for high school students.
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About WorldQuest

Academic WorldQuest tests players’ knowledge of current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures. Each year, over 50 World Affairs Councils across the country hold local Academic WorldQuest competitions for high school students in their communities. Since 2003, winning teams have traveled to Washington, DC every April to vie for the national championship.

GAME MASTER, DR. PAUL DUNSCOMB, ON STAGE AT OUR 2022 LOCAL COMPETITION.

Why WorldQuest?

Preparing the next generation of leaders, scholars, and decision-makers to thrive in a 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.

2026 Academic WorldQuest Competition

2026 AWQ TOPICS
Event Details

  • 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

Date: January 29, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: Bear Tooth Theatre

Prize:
The winning team will receive a $2,000 travel scholarship to compete in the World Affairs Councils of America’s National Competition, held April 27–28, 2026.

Study Guide + Registration Form

2025 Academic WorldQuest Recap

This year’s event brought together more than 215 bright and globally minded students from Bartlett, South, Eagle River, Wasilla, Chugiak, Steller, and Romig. For the second year in a row, Eagle River High School won the local competition! Steller Secondary came in very close second place, and Chugiak High School rounded out the top three with a strong third-place finish. As the winning team, Eagle River High School represented Alaska at the national Academic WorldQuest competition in Washington, DC in April.

In between rounds, students enjoyed a pizza buffet and an engaging keynote from Tyler Arnold of Tyler Systems LLC, who spoke about creating opportunity in Alaska through AI-driven solutions.

A heartfelt thank you to ConocoPhillips for sponsoring the event, the Atwood Foundation for supporting student participation, and our generous in-kind donors — SteamDot Coffee Company, Kaladi Brothers Coffee, and Wild Scoops — for the fun door prizes.

STUDENTS FROM EAGLE RIVER HIGH SCHOOL IN WASHINGTON, DC FOR THE NATIONAL COMPETITION.
SPONSORS:

Thank you to our generous event sponsor for our 2025 WorldQuest Competition:

Conoco Phillips logo

Interested in sponsoring the next competition? Please contact Operations Director, Siobhan Choi, siobhan.choi@alaskaworldaffairs.org.