2024

For more than a decade the Naples Council on World Affairs has sponsored an Academic World Quest (AWQ) competition in two programs in Collier County -- one for public and independent high schools and the second for middle schools. The objective of both programs is to promote student awareness of world affairs and of the role of the United States in the international political system.

Teams of four students compete, fielding 100 questions on a wide range of topics including geography, forms of government, capitals of the world, citizenship and the Constitution, ancient civilizations, world cultures, U.S. history, U.S. in world affairs, world leaders and current events. 

The 2023 Academic World Quest (AWQ) for the middle schools was held March 4 and for high schools on March 25. Both were held at the Community School of Naples. The top high school team travels to Washington DC for national competition, sponsored by NCWA. This year, the Naples team did not place in the national competition.

High School Academic World Quest Winners for 2023

Team A from Gulf Coast High School placed first and later participated in national competition in Washington DC. From left are Jim Seymour, NCWA chair of the competition; Bharath Ram, Noah Thorne, Liam Castro and Grant Arnold.

Placing second was Team A from Barron Collier High School. From left are Jim Seymour, NCWA chair of the competition; Alexia Espinoza Vlad, Darshan Dadlani, Chris Garcia and Gabriella Chernysh.

Team C from Gulf Coast High School won third. From left are Jim Seymour, NCWA chair for the competition; social studies teacher Sue Soulard; David Sage, Vincent Nguyen, Topher Fontana, Arlind Agollari, and Mark Walchak, chair of the NCWA School Outreach program.

Middle School Academic World Quest Winners for 2023

Team C from North Naples Middle School won first place in the Middle School Academic World Quest Competition. From left are Mark Walchak, NCWA School Outreach Committee chair; Mikie Stroh, coordinator for K-12 social studies programs for Collier County Public Schools; Bennett Bozman; Luke Brown; Aaron Bozman; Karthik Pandiri; Sandy Karaganis, chair of the MS AWQ program, and Ashley
Giannone, faculty coach of the team.

Team A of Oakridge Middle School won second place in the 2023 Middle School Academic World Quest Competition. From left are Jack Pustizzi, Isaac Garatejo Zambrano, Emma Dorey, and Aarohee Dabas.

Team C of the Community School of Naples won third place. From left are Mark Walchak, NCWA School Outreach chair; Max Dockweiler; Jack Champion; Sam Saad; Thomas Lovse; Sandy Karaganis, chair of the MS AWQ program; and NCWA President Jim Schmotter. Scott Miles was faculty coach.

Middle school students prepare for the competition at the Community School of Naples.

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Winners in 2022 AWQ Competitions

The High School AWQ  for 2022 was held on March 25, and the Middle School competition on March 4, both at the Community School of Naples. The top High School AWQ teams competed in the National AWQ competition in Washington, DC on April 29-30.

High School Academic World Quest 

Teams from Gulf Coast High School placed first and second in the annual High School Academic World Quest (AWQ) held March 5 at the Community School of Naples. Third place was won by Barron Collier High school.

The first-place team from Gulf Coast High School was flown to Washington DC to compete in the national competition on April 29-30. AWQ is a fast-paced team competition that tests students’ knowledge of politics, geography, global economics, history and world cultures.

First place winner was the team from Gulf Coast High School. From left are Mark Walchak, NCWA School Outreach Committee chair; Bharath Ram, Manuel Hernandez, Davansh Barve, Zayn Dalai, Jim Schmotter, NCWA president, and Mikie Stroh of Collier county Public Schools.

Another team from Gulf Coast High School placed second. From left are Mark Walchak, NCWA School Outreach Committee chair; John Bekhash, Aiden Starchbein, Doung Tran, Mikie Stroh of Collier County Schools, and Jim Schmotter, NCWA president.

Barron Collier High School's team placed third. From left are Mark Walchak, NCWA School Outreach Committee chair; Nicholas Danyo, coach; Darshan Dadlani, Eric Japson, Chris Garcia, Fred Terezi, and Jim Schmotter, NCWA president.

Middle School Academic World Quest 

Twenty-six teams representing six schools entered the 2022 Middle School Academic World Quest competition, an increase from 14 teams last season.

First place winners in the Middle School AWQ competition were from Oak Ridge Middle School. Pictured above are Mark Walchak, chair of NCWA's School Outreach Committee; Laura Heald, coach of the team; Anderson McAdams, Aiden Trapani, Will Mazurowski, Naresh Ram, and Taylor Wilson, coach.

Second place went to North Naples Middle School. From left are Luke Brown, Aaron Bozman, Bennett Bozman, Topher Fontana, coach Ashley Giannone, and Mark Walchak, chair of the NCWA School Outreach Committee.

Winning third place was the Community School of Naples team. From left are William Gavin, Gabriel Miller, Grace Cunningham, Brooke Glick and coach Scott Miles.