Academic WorldQuest, a flagship program of the World Affairs Council network, is a team game testing competitors’ knowledge of international affairs, geography, history, and culture. There are currently more than 40 local competitions held around the country, and the winners of these local competitions are invited to compete in the National Academic WorldQuest competition held in Washington, D.C. each spring.

When and Where? This year’s competition will take place on February 16, 2027 from 5:30-8:00 PM at the University of North Florida Adam W. Herbert University Center (1200 Alumni Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224).

How to Play? Teams consist of four students and up to three teams from each high school may participate. Schools may request to put an additional fourth team onto a waitlist by contacting rachel@worldaffairscounciljax.org.

Teams will go through six rounds of six questions each. Each round will feature one of the topics below. The questions will be multiple choice, and students have thirty seconds to answer each question.

The categories featured in the 2026 competition were:

– Pop Culture and Soft Power in International Relations

– Migration and Immigration

– The U.S. Constitution and Foreign Policy

– Tariffs and Trade

– Coffee and Chocolate: A Global Perspective

– Nuclear Policy Issues

“Without sponsors, our team would not have been able to go to nationals. It is thanks to them that we were able to compete, and we are incredibly grateful. – Nick Greek, Member of the 2023 Admiral Jonathan T. Howe Academic WorldQuest Winning Team