The World Affairs Challenge is a unique competition in international affairs for middle and high school students. Working in teams, students cooperate with one another to research, analyze, and propose solutions to real world problems. There are separate divisions for middle and high school. This student-centered program harnesses the creative energies of young people and brings them to bear on the issues that will confront our global society in the 21st century.

The goal of the Challenge is to spark an interest in global affairs and to show students how the study of history, economics,geography, civics, and foreign languages relates to their personal and professional futures.

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The Challenge is geared toward middle school and high school students.  Challenge teams have been fielded from classes in social studies, world history, geography, economics, foreign languages, and even science. Many teams are also formed from extracurricular world affairs clubs. Schools can bring more than one team.

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Students spend up to three months preparing for the competition, with research and administrative support provided by a local host institution, such as the University of Denver in Colorado. An international thematic area is selected each year as the focus of study. Within this focus of study, Challenge teams identify a more narrow and specific aspect of the theme for their team presentation. The end of the research process culminates with the World Affairs Challenge, which occurs at the host institution each Spring. During the Challenge, students compete in up to four different events that test their global awareness knowledge, their presentation skills, and their ability to work collaboratively with their peers. Teachers serve primarily as coaches, helping their students prepare for the events. Often, teachers incorporate the Challenge theme into their course curriculum.

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What are the four Challenge events?

The Formal Presentation
Each team is given 15 minutes to make a presentation on their topic. The presentation may be in the form of a role play, a mock trial, a video presentation,or any other sort of creative presentation that communicates a thorough understanding of the complexities of the topic and proposes a reasonable solution. The presentation will be judged on content, creativity, and organization. The presentation, which accounts for 65% of a team' s total score, will be combined with the Global Awareness Quiz to determine the Best Overall Team.

The Global Awareness Quiz
This 50 question multiple choice quiz tests students' knowledge of political geography and world affairs. Each quiz is scored individually, and then averaged for the team. The quiz accounts for 35%of a team's total score. The top individual scores also receive prizes.

The Collaborative Question (CQ)
For this event, participants are assigned to a team, and will not likely work with their school teammates. CQ teams are given a question or problem that relates to the annual theme, and are judged separately, based on content and participation. Members of the winning CQ team are recognized.

The Discovery Poster
The Discovery Poster is a visual representation of a team's Formal Presentation. Each poster highlights the main points and proposed solution(s) in a creative, concise, and organized manner. The Discovery Poster is judged separately from the Formal Presentation and other Challenge events.

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Judges are prominent community members who volunteer their time to participate in the WAC. They have an interest in international affairs and come from a variety of backgrounds and professions. Their role is to judge the Formal Presentation, the Collaborative Question, and the Discover Poster.

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What is the theme?

The 2004 theme is THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

The annual theme serves to unify the events of the World Affairs Challenge. Participants study the political, economic, social and cultural implications of the theme. We challenge students to think creatively and propose their own ideas and solutions.

Click here for potential presentation topics for this year's theme...

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The cost for the Denver Challenge is only $100 per school for each team of 7-12 students ($90 for early registration - prior to 10/31/03). This fee includes 10 hours of research time with up to 300 pages of materials (see How DU assists Challenge teams), curriculum units related to the international relations, and lunch for the participating teacher on the day of the Challenge.

A fee of $5 per student will be collected on or prior to the day of the Challenge to cover the cost of students' breakfast and lunch.

Note: If you are participating in the Challenge in another state, please contact your host institution for participation fees.

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Each team leader/teacher/coach will receive introductory materials, which includes a complete program description, a teacher's handbook, criteria for judging the competition events, an international studies curriculum, and educational materials that highlight the major issues of the annual theme.  

Each team also receives 10 hours of research assistance from a graduate student/mentor, who will assist students and do library research.

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The Challenge assists students in understanding the complexities of global problems. Students see the relevance of academic study to real world problems, and are exposed to career paths and/or areas of study that address these problems. Critical thinking skills are strengthened and they learn the value of teamwork and global responsibility.

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The Challenge reinforces international affairs teaching efforts in the classroom, encourages global awareness, and gives teachers the opportunity to develop their own professional and intellectual interests. The Challenge also helps create bonds with local university faculty and staff, a variety of students , local business professionals, and community leaders.

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The World Affairs Challenge illustrates the local community's increasing role in the international global economy and the need for students to understand these new connections. We hope to develop a work force and an electorate attuned to international events and how these events relate to the lives of global citizens. The Challenge affords community members an opportunity to participate in an innovative academic program that showcases the amazing talent and vision of our young people.

For further information about how to organize a team at your local high school or middle school, please contact the Center for Teaching International Relations (CTIR) at the Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver, at 303-871-7442, through this site, or via ebeindor@du.edu.

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