Academic WorldQuest

What is Academic WorldQuest?

Academic WorldQuest is a Flagship Program of the World Affairs Council. The game was invented by the Charlotte, NC Council and is now widely played at the adult and high school levels in the council system around the country. It is an annual knowledge-based team competition for area high schools with questions focusing on international affairs, current events, the global economy, geography, world history, general knowledge about the world, and more.

The World Affairs Councils of America started the national competition in Washington, DC in March 2003. Participants come from high schools that work with our councils. Academic WorldQuest is unique to the world affairs council system and has no direct competitor among K-12 knowledge-based competitions in the US or abroad. It has been a huge success since its inception.

The Mid-Hudson Valley Competition – Recent Winners and the 2025 Competition

Local councils organize area high school competitions to select a team to represent them at the national competition in Washington, D.C. The World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley has organized competitions for high schools in Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties since 2006. Recent winning schools are:

  • Kingston High School 2024
  • Kingston High School 2023
  • The Mount Academy 2022
  • Kingston High School 2021
  • The Mount Academy 2020
  • The Mount Academy 2019
  • Cornwall Central High School 2018
  • The Mount Academy 2017
  • Spackenkill High School 2016
  • Roy C. Ketcham High School 2015
  • Poughkeepsie Day School 2014
  • Roy C. Ketcham High School 2013

The 2025 AWQ Regional Competition

Our regional event is scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2025, with an inclement weather date of Sunday, March 2nd. The competition will be held in person at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor Education Center at the FDR Presidential Library Museum site in Hyde Park. The winner will attend the National Competition, held in Washington DC at the end of April. The MHV-WAC budget can typically cover up to $2500 in travel and hotel costs for winning teams in our geographical coverage area (Dutchess, Ulster or Orange County). Our Council cannot cover these costs for teams that may compete in our regional competition but that are from counties outside of our formal service area.

The National Competition

The National Academic WorldQuest Competition is typically a 3-hour event on a Saturday in April. It is part of a long weekend of activities in Washington DC, including a dinner and mixer on Friday night, visits to embassies and free time for participants to sightsee. The details of the national competition can be found on the World Affairs Council of America website.

How To Play

The game is a contest between four-person teams representing a high school, a city, or a council. It is moderated by a prominent figure in the field of international affairs or journalism. Teams compete by answering rounds of questions displayed by PowerPoint.

A full competition is 100 questions (10 rounds of 10 questions per round.) Each team must produce a single answer to each question. When we hold our competition in person, the question is projected on a screen as part of a slide presentation and is read aloud by a moderator. The remote format will follow this general approach. Questions typically have four multiple choice answers. The team with the highest number of correct answers wins. Prizes are awarded to the top three teams and the top team is selected to represent our council at the national competition.

What makes up a team?

A team consists of four students and may include one alternate. (Note: Locally, a team shall consist of up to four students and an alternate. Should that team advance to the national competition it must conform to the rules of the national board.) Team members can be freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors. No alternates or substitutes are allowed during the competition unless there is an emergency. Student observers are welcome.

For more information, visit the World Affairs Councils of America at: http://www.worldaffairscouncils.org/

NOTE: In the event of a tie, there will be tie-breaking rounds. A “Sudden-Death” option may of necessity be used if time runs out.

For More Information or to Enter the Competition

Please contact our outreach coordinator, Karen Nichols at karen.nichols722@gmail.com to inquire about the competition or to register your team. Space is limited. If space allows, you may register two teams per high school.

Your team may wish to prepare by viewing past question sets as well as the annual topics study guide. Slide shows for previous regional competitions are below.