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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the World Affairs Challenge? 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. Who is it for?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. How does it work?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 three 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.
What are the three Challenge events?The Formal Presentation The Global Awareness Quiz The Collaborative Question (CQ)
Who will judge the competition?
What is the theme?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 to global problems. What is the cost? Participation costs vary from one
location to another, so check with
your local
host institution institution
to get the specifics. Fees generally
include up to 10 hours of research
time with up to 300 pages of materials
(see Research
Advisor),
curriculum units related to the international
relations, and lunch for the students
and teachers on the day of the Challenge. How does the University of Denver assist Challenge teams?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. How does the Challenge benefit
students?
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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 students learn the value of teamwork and global responsibility. |
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.
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 .
| University of Denver, World Affairs Challenge, 2201 South Gaylord St., Denver, CO 80208 |
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 hold relevance for our global society in the 21st century. 