World Affairs Challenge

A successful program for 16 years in Colorado and endorsed by the National Council for the Social Studies, the Challenge is an innovative academic program in international relations for middle school students.

In Spring 2005, World Affairs Council Global Classroom hosted the World Affairs Challenge for the second time with the theme “Global Energy: Empowering the Future.” Past themes have included food and hunger, water issues, global health, the environment, terrorism and violence, technological change, economic development, and human migration.

View the World Affairs Challenge in Pictures:

- 2004: "Human Rights: The Rights of the Child."

- 2005: "Global Energy: Empowering the Future."

Each annual theme unifies the Challenge events and provides coherence to the program. Past themes include the rights of the child, food and hunger, water issues, global health, the environment, terrorism and violence, technological change, economic development, and human migration.

• To research a specific topic, download the Research Planning Guide (powerpoint) and visit our webpage Resources for World Affairs Challenge.

 

How Does it Work?

Teams of 7-12 middle school students (grades 6-8) spend up to twelve weeks preparing a formal presentation on an international topic related to the annual theme, with administrative and research support provided by the World Affairs Council and the University of Denver. The end of the research process culminates with the World Affairs Challenge, held in Seattle on May 12, 2006. During the Challenge, students compete in four different events that test their knowledge, their presentation skills, and their ability to work collaboratively. Teachers serve primarily as coaches, helping students prepare for the day. Often teachers incorporate the Challenge topic into course curriculum, using materials developed and provided by the Center for Teaching International Relations (CTIR).

 

What Are The Four Events?

(1) Formal Presentation
Each team has 15 minutes to present its extensive research and analysis, to identify the major policy issues raised, and to propose reasonable solutions. Presentations often take the form of creative skits or simulations as students choose how they can best communicate their understanding of the topic’s complexities. Community members judge the Presentations based on content, creativity, and organization.

(2) A Global Awareness Quiz
This short, multiple-choice assessment tests students’ knowledge of global geography, world events, and aspects of the annual theme. The Quiz heightens the sense of competition and is scored individually as well as averaged for the team.

(3) The Collaborative Question
For this event, students are organized into new teams with peers from other schools. Participants are presented with a real-world scenario, including support materials and data, for which they have about 30 minutes to come to consensus on a response. After this preparation time, judges join the teams to hear student ideas and engage in substantive dialogue with them regarding the scenario.

(4) The Discovery Poster
A newer element of the Challenge, the Poster is a visual representation of each team’s Formal Presentation. This component allows students to see each other’s research, analysis, and findings.

 

Who Are The Judges?

Volunteer judges include distinguished community members involved or interested in international affairs, including state and local government officials, small business owners, and representatives of multinational corporations.

 

Why Participate in The World Affairs Challenge?

The Challenge . . .

• Provides an exceptional chance for business and community leaders to engage with young people on substantive issues.
• Helps young people understand our state’s increasing role in a global economy.
• Develops a work force and an electorate attuned to international events and how they relate to the lives of Americans.
• Encourages students of all abilities to participate.
• Offers an ideal way to reach out to the community and encourage our future leaders.
• Assists students in understanding the complexities of global problems.
• Illustrates the relevance of academic study to real world problems, and to career paths that address these problems.
• Strengthens critical thinking skills.
• Encourages teamwork and personal responsibility to others.
  
  

• Prepares introductory resources, which include a complete program description, rules and criteria for judging the competition, and materials that highlight the major issues of the topic.
• Through the CTIR in Denver, the World Affairs Council furnishes teachers with a standards-based Curriculum Guide with activities and lessons related to international relations as well as the annual topic.
• Connects each team to the Research Assistant, a University of Denver graduate student/mentor, who will assist Challenge teams and do library research. Each team receives 6 hours of research assistance.
• Informs teams and teachers of special events related to the Challenge or to the annual topic.
  
  

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. This is an opportunity for students to discover and explore exciting new content; it’s not your parents’ social studies course. They get to work with peers on a collaborative project, employ research skills that will help in college courses, and hone persuasive public speaking skills. On top of all that, participating in the Challenge looks great on a résumé.

 

How does the Challenge benefit teachers?

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.

 

How does the Challenge benefit business and the community?

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.

 

More Information

To learn more about this valuable program from the University of Denver, see: http://www.du.edu/worldaffairschallenge/progdetails.html