Your passport to global affairs

Academic WorldQuest (AWQ) inspires high school students and teachers across the United States from Hawaii to Maine to embrace a culture of global engagement. 

Since 2003, Academic WorldQuest™ (AWQ) has been the World Affairs Councils of America’s flagship youth education program at the local and national level. This fun, fast-paced team competition for high school students tests players’ knowledge of current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures.  In this intense competition, teams of students respond under strict timing deadlines to a series of questions taken from 10 subject areas provided in a study guide.

How would you fare in this competition? Click here to read the study guide for the 2026 High School AWQ. It will deepen your respect for these young competitors' accomplishments.

Nationwide, more than 40 local World Affairs Councils host Academic WorldQuest (AWQ) competitions engaging over 3,000 students competing to represent their communities at the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition held in Washington, D.C. each April. The late Carlos Alvarez was a member of the WACA board of directors and left a grant to pay for the winning team from each council with a local competition to travel to Washington DC for the national competition each April. AWQ celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2027 and includes a logo contest where one winning student team will design a logo to represent the 2027 National Competition with signage, merchandise and other branded visuals. Two days of programming for the "DC Experience" in April include the competition, unique DC-based opportunities to enhance the global education experience, and engaging with some 250 like-minded peers from across the nation.

For more information about the 2025 competition, click here for the full 3-hour 51-minute livestream video or visit https://worldaffairscouncils.org.

The Naples Council on World Affairs hosts local competitions on different dates for both middle school and high school students. The winning high school team is invited to at†end the national competition in Washington DC.

From left, Jake Burtch, Collier County Public Schools; Michael Finkel, NCWA’s AWQ Chair; Luke Brown, Bennett Bozman, Alex Ewy and Aaron Bozman, Aubrey Rogers High School AWQ first place winners; and Judy Baker, NCWA’s School Outreach Chair.                                                   Photo by Mark Walchak

Demonstrating remarkable consistency and academic excellence, a team of four students from Aubrey Rogers High School has claimed its third consecutive championship at the prestigious Academic WorldQuest (AWQ) regional competition, held in March 2026 at the Community School of Naples. The team will advance to represent Southwest Florida at the national competition in Washington, D.C., April 27–28, thanks to a grant from the World Affairs Councils of America, which sponsors the event.

Organized by the Naples Council on World Affairs (NCWA) for more than a decade, the competition draws top high school students from across Collier and Lee counties to test their knowledge of global affairs. This year’s championship team—juniors Aaron Bozman, Bennett Bozman, Luke Brown and Alex Ewy—outperformed teams from across the region in a rigorous, fast-paced contest.

The team’s achievement builds on an extraordinary track record. Last year, they made history as the first sophomore team to win the regional title, and three members—Aaron, Bennett and Luke—were also part of the 2023 Middle School championship team, underscoring years of sustained excellence in global studies.

“Winning this competition is a continuation of the hard work and dedication that we have been applying for the past three years. Our past experiences have helped to prepare us for the local competition, and now we plan to take those 

with us to the National Competition as we vie for a national win,” said Bennett Bozman. “I’d like to personally thank the NCWA, our school advisors, and other mentors who have helped guide our team to this point. We aren’t finished, and plan to continue our dedication so that we can arrive at nationals stronger than ever.”

All the team mates agree: “It was amazing to win again. I think I can speak for the entire team when saying that we are very satisfied with being able to win this competition for the third time. I think the main goal this year, however, is to go all the way and take the national victory home,” said Alex Ewy. 

“"This win represents so much more than just effort or intellect by all of our team members. For me, our ability and success in this competition demonstrates the collective trust that we have in each other that we will do the work behind the scenes and then show up and contribute on the day of the competition,” said Luke Brown.

“I am very excited to be able to go back to Washington DC this year. The experience of AWQ is very engaging academically and you really learn so much from the experience. I want to thank NCWA for all that they do,” said Aaron Bozman.

The competition drew 110 students on 27 teams from nine Collier and Lee county high schools. 

Barron Collier Team B took second place with teammates Daniel Granath, Nicky Naing, Sidarth Kamath and Bjorn Najdeni.  Community School team C won third place with John Fontana, Maayan Levy, Steve Fontana and Justin Cantor. 

This season's subject categories for the high school competition were:

Pop Culture and Soft Power in International Relations, FIFA World Cup, Migration and Immigration, The U.S. Constitution and Foreign Policy, the Belt and Road Initiative, Tariffs and Trade, Coffee and Chocolate: A Global Perspective, Nuclear Policy Issues, Focus Country: Australia, and Current Events. Click here for the 2026 study guide.

Collier County and Lee County schools participating were Aubrey Rogers High School,  Gulf Coast High School, Barron Collier High School, Community School of Naples, Bishop Verot Catholic High School, Immokalee High School, Lorenzo Walker Technical High School, Mariner High School and Naples High School.

AWQ inspires high school students and teachers across the United States to embrace a culture of global engagement. Nationwide, more than 40 local World Affairs Councils host community Academic WorldQuest competitions throughout the year, engaging more than 3,000 students in schools across diverse geographic and economic lines.

An Oakridge Middle School team won the 2026 Middle School competition. From left are Mark Schwab, NCWA president; students Joseph “Nolen” Walter, John “JT” Haney, Santiago Grana, Jordan Rodriguez; Gunther Winkler, NCWA president-elect, and Michael Finkel, AWQ chair.  Photo by M. Williams

A team of seventh graders from Oakridge Middle School claimed first place at the 2026 Middle School Academic WorldQuest (AWQ) competition, outperforming 27 other teams and 108 students from seven Collier County middle schools in a fast-paced contest of global knowledge.

Hosted by the Naples Council on World Affairs (NCWA) on February 28 at the Community School of Naples gymnasium, the annual competition drew 28 teams and more than 200 parents, teachers, supporters, and volunteers for a spirited morning of academic challenge and community celebration.

The championship team from Oakridge Middle School included Santiago Grana, John “JT” Haney, Jordan Rodriguez, and Joseph “Nolen” Walter.

To earn the title, the students met weekly at school to review practice materials and studied independently, mastering topics in national and international affairs provided by NCWA. Their 

coaches are Taylor Arnold and Andrea Polanco. Ms. Polanco was recently named Collier County Teacher of the Year for 2025.

“The students work incredibly hard. AWQ gives them a goal to work toward,” said Coach Arnold.

Academic WorldQuest serves as a dynamic complement to the social studies curriculum across Collier County schools.

“It’s a learning experience they can’t get any other place,” said Mikie Stroh, Collier County Schools Social Studies Coordinator. “It’s an amazing opportunity for students to demonstrate what they are learning about the world.”

Second place honors went to Pine Ridge Middle School’s team of Julian Connor Bartruff, Christian Castano, Bradley Fabian, and Samone Sharma. Third place was awarded to another Oakridge Middle School team comprised of Trivarn Bheemanapalli, Clara Cushman, Gavin Harhen, and Elizabeth Wilson.

Participating Collier County middle schools included Community School of Naples, Oakridge Middle School, Marco Island Charter School, Seacrest Country Day School, North Naples Middle School, and Pine Ridge Middle School.

“We are proud of our middle school AWQ participants and hope they continue their involvement through high school,” said Dr. Michael Finkel, chair of Academic WorldQuest for middle and high school and board member of the Naples Council on World Affairs. 

For more than a decade, NCWA has hosted Academic WorldQuest competitions for middle and high school students in Southwest Florida.

Nationwide, more than 40 local World Affairs Councils

host AWQ competitions each year, engaging more than 3,000 students from diverse geographic and economic backgrounds and inspiring a culture of global awareness and civic engagement.

2026 Southwest Florida Middle School AWQ Categories were World Geography, Forms of Government, Current Events, 250th Anniversary of the United States, European Union and NATO, Australia, Flags of the World, World Leaders, Women’s Rights and Indigenous Peoples.

Oakridge Middle School coaches Taylor Arnold, left, and Andrea Polanco, right, flank Collier County Schools social studies coordinator Mikie Stroh at the Middle School AWQ competition.

Dr. Michael Finkel
AWQ Chair

PRIOR YEARS:

The National Competition in 2025:

Aubrey Rogers WorldQuest Team Wins Fourth Place in Washington DC

Members of the Aubrey Rogers team were, from left, Bennett Bozman, Luke Brown, Alex Ewy and Aaron Bozman.

A talented team of sophomores from Aubrey Rogers High School earned fourth place in the nation at the prestigious Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest™ National Competition, held Monday, April 28, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

Hosted by the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA), the event brought together 225 students from 45 high schools nationwide for a weekend of global learning, cultural exchange, and academic competition.

This year’s top finishers were:

●First Place (84 points): Cedar Cliff High School, World Affairs Council of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

●Second Place (83 points): Carnegie Vanguard High School, World Affairs Council of Greater Houston

●Third Place (78 points): Flower Mound High School, World Affairs Council of Dallas-Fort Worth

●Fourth Place (77 points, tie-breaker): Aubrey Rogers High School, representing the Naples Council on World Affairs (NCWA)

The Aubrey Rogers team achieved this impressive finish in only their second year competing at the national level. The team was co-sponsored by NCWA and WACA.

“We’re happy, but we’re already thinking about winning next year,” said team captain Bennett Bozman.

The team earned their spot at nationals after winning first place at the NCWA’s local Academic WorldQuest competition, triumphing over 21 teams from six Collier County high schools. They repeated their 2024 success when, as freshmen, they became the first-ever freshman team to claim the local title. 

Notably, Aaron, Bennett, and Luke also led a winning middle school team in 2023, laying the foundation for an extraordinary three-year winning streak.

“I’m proud of them," said Nicholas Danyo, social studies teacher and team coach. "They performed incredibly well and set high expectations for themselves. Their dedication and hard work truly paid off.”

NCWA has sponsored Academic WorldQuest for high schools and middle schools in the SWFL region for more than a decade. The competitions test student teams’ knowledge of a variety of topics, such as global affairs, geography, international organizations and current events. Questions are posed to teams, who are given a short period of time to give their answers. Scores are based on the number of correct answers.

Notably, Aaron, Bennett, and Luke also led a winning middle school team in 2023,“NCWA is proud to support these inspiring young leaders,” said Mark Walchak, NCWA’s school programs chair. “This program serves as a launchpad for students interested in diplomacy, international business, and public policy, and we are honored to be part of their journey.”

Academic WorldQuest is WACA’s flagship youth education initiative, engaging more than 3,000 high school students annually in competitions across over 40 local World Affairs Councils. Students prepare for months outside of regular school hours.

The Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition is made possible through the generous support of sponsors and the WACA AWQ Endowment, established with a $10 million gift by Carlos Alvarez, a San Antonio businessman and philanthropist and former member of the WACA board of directors who passed away in 2024, and his wife. The Aubrey Rogers team's Washington experience was sponsored by both WACA and NCWA.

In addition to the competition, students participated in embassy visits, attended expert briefings, and connected with peers who share a passion for world affairs. The event is designed to expand students’ global awareness and spark future careers in international relations, diplomacy, and global development.

In the local competition in March, the team outperformed 84 students from 21 teams across six Collier County high schools. Notably, this group made history last year by becoming the first-ever freshman team to win the regional AWQ title. Aaron, Bennett, and Luke were also members of the Middle School AWQ championship team in 2023, demonstrating consistent excellence in global knowledge.

In the local competition, Gulf Coast High School claimed second place with a strong team effort from seniors Selma Parfene, Isabella Lala, Everett Tedrow, and Emiliana Aguilera, all of whom have studied in special programs in the U.S. or abroad under NCWA’s summer scholarship program. Third place was awarded to another Aubrey Rogers team featuring Arlind Agollari, Christopher Fontana, Adrian Alvarez Garcia, and Albar Setiawan. All winners received medals and Amazon gift cards from the NCWA.

For more details, click here. To access the complete livestream of the 2025 national contest, click here.

2025: NCWA's Middle School Academic WorldQuest Gets Students Involved

 For the second year in a row, Community School of Naples’ top Academic WorldQuest team won NCWA's AWQ Middle School competition.

The event was held at the Community School’s gymnasium, drawing 97  competitors from 25 teams and four Naples middle schools. More than 100 parents, supporters and volunteers took part in the event.

The winning team included eighth graders John Fontana, captain; and Justin Cantor, Kayden Robinson and Steven Fontana. The Fontana brothers are twins. To achieve the championship, the students met after school to review general national and international affairs topics provided by NCWA.

“The students are the reason they are successful,” said coach Scott Miles. “We don’t coach. We get them involved. The Community School curriculum –geography, history, government – gives them the background.”

"It's a learning experience they can't get any other place," said Mikie Stroh, Collier County Schools social studies coordinator. "It's an amazing experience for students to show the knowledge they are learning at school about the world.

Community School of Naples won the Middle School Academic WorldQuest
competition sponsored by NCWA. At left is Mark Walchak, NCWA's school
programs chair, second from right is Mark Schwab, NCWA president, and at
far right is Scott Miles, team coach. Team members are John Fontana, Justin
Cantor, Kayden Robinson and Steven Fontana.

Second and third places went to Pine Ridge Middle School; and Oakridge Middle School, respectively. Pine Ridge’s team was Sidharth Kamath, Rylan Wise, Aditya Yadav and Julian Connor Bartruff and coach Darah Perini. Third Place went to Oakridge Middle School, with Arnav Dabas, Zeke Newbery, Tulip Sai Bheemanapalli and CJ Sauer, and coaches Andrea Polanco and Taylor Wilson. Collier County middle schools participating were Community School of Naples, Oakridge Middle School, North Naples Middle School and Pine Ridge Middle School.

Students competing in the 2025 Middle School Academic WorldQuest competition line up for a group photo.

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