The World Affairs Council's youth program consists of two main parts: Inviting high school and college students to attend the monthly dinner/lecture series and presenting an academic competition for high school students called "Academic WorldQuest."

Speaker Series Student Program
The Youth Program includes inviting approximately 80 high school and college students to attend the monthly dinner/lecture at no expense to them. The students, in addition to hearing our speakers and participating in three-course dinners, are given special opportunities to meet directly with speakers and have the ability to mingle with the distinguished members and guests of the organization. Students for this program are selected by their faculty mentors.

Academic WorldQuest
Our main outreach event is the Academic WorldQuest competition, a team game testing high school students’ knowledge of international affairs.

WHO CAN SEND A TEAM?
Any high school, public or private, in the Coachella Valley can register one team. There is no fee to register a team.

WHAT MAKES UP A TEAM?
A team consists of 4 high school students. They may be freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors. Each team must have a coach.

DATES AND LOCATION OF THE COMPETITION
The 7th Annual Academic WorldQuest competition is scheduled for December 8, 2011
beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Indian Wells Theater on the Palm Desert Campus of California State University San Bernardino located at 37-500 Cook Street in Palm Desert. Students and team coaches are expected to arrive by 4:00 p.m.

The event is open to the public. Teams are encouraged to bring family members, friends and school administrators to cheer them on during the competition.

SPECIAL FEATURES of ACADEMIC WORLDQUEST *
Cash Prizes are awarded to each student on the top three teams: 1st Place $500; 2nd Place $300; 3rd place $200.

* Pending available funding, the winning team and coach receive an expense-free trip to Washington D.C. to compete in the National Academic WorldQuest competition scheduled to be held on April 21, 2012.

HOW TO PLAY
The competition is moderated by a prominent figure in the field of international affairs or journalism. Teams compete by answering rounds of PowerPoint questions. A full competition is 50 questions, with 7 rounds of 7 questions per round plus one bonus question. Teams will have 45 seconds to discuss each question and write down their answer. Each team has to submit a single answer to each question. The team with the highest number of correct answers wins. Trophies are awarded to the top three teams, plus cash prizes and other gifts are given.

CATEGORIES FOR THE 2011 COMPETITION

• U.S. Economic Competitiveness

• The Middle East and North Africa

• Afghanistan/Pakistan

• China

• UN Millennium Goals: Child Health

• Azerbaijan

• Current Events

Refer the website: http://porterroom.csusb.edu/academicWorldQuest/index.html

• Flyer for Academic WorldQuest

• Forms: Entry Form, Student Data Sheet, Release of Liability Form

• Study Guide for Academic WorldQuest of the Desert All questions will be drawn from the sources listed in the Study Guide.

• Sample questions from previous competitions

“Like” us on our Facebook page at Academic WorldQuest of the Desert and receive regular updates.

The Academic WorldQuest competition held on December 2, 2010 was won by Desert Christian Academy. They attended the National Academic WorldQuest, held in Washington D.C. at Georgetown University on April 29, 2011.

Pictured at right: Emily Nelson (center) and the winners of the 2010 Academic WorldQuest from Desert Christian Academy

For more information, please email: doriswilson01@yahoo.com