Challenging the Leaders of Tomorrow
Academic WorldQuest is a fun, fast-paced annual competition for high school teams to test their collective knowledge of international facts. The contest consists of six rounds of multiple choice questions. Area public and private high schools may organize one or two six-person teams to compete. A teacher assists in selection of team members and preparing for the competition. The following high schools participated in the 2009-2010 competition:
Bartram Trail,
Bishop Snyder,
Bolles School,
Duncan Fletcher,
Episcopal,
Jean Ribault,
Mandarin,
Nathan B. Forrest,
Nease,
Paxon School for Advanced Studies,
Ponte Vedra,
Ridgeview,
Samuel W. Wolfson,
Stanton College Preparatory and
Yulee.
The topics for the 2008-2009 competition were:
- World Music
- Food Production & Consumption
- Pandemics
- International Migration Trends
- World Cup
- Current Events
The Council underwrites the costs of the winning team to compete in the national competition in Washington, D.C. in the spring. In 2009, the team “The Power Rangers” from Stanton College Preparatory High School won. The following teams took second and third place, respectively: The Bolles School Team and Stanton’s Horde of Peasants.
Organizing a Team
- Identify a teacher for a school. Teachers are typically drawn from history, social studies and related fields.
- Sponsors work with Council staff to promote the event within the school; and then select team members. There may be 4 members on each team. Four team members and the sponsor from the winning team are sent to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national WorldQuest event. The World Affairs Council of Jacksonville covers the bulk of the expenses of this trip.
- While the contest is designed to test students’ current knowledge, many teams do some preparation in advance of the competition. Teams know the topics in advance and there are tips provided to assist in each team’s preparation.
- To get started, contact the Council’s office: (904) 280-8162 or download the registration form.
- All teams must be registered prior to October 2010.
Funding
The costs of the Academic WorldQuest program are covered by:
- Sponsors ($3,000 to be a title sponsor and support the winning team’s trip to Washington)
- Additional contributions from members ($250 per team)
- Council members’ dues
- In-kind contributions (Prizes and gifts for teams)
Do consider participating as a team or title sponsor, or providing in-kind contributions. Volunteers are also needed to assist the evening of the contest.