World Affairs Councils of America
American international education organization
The World Affairs Councils of America is a network of 93 autonomous and nonpartisan councils across 40 states.[citation needed]
History
The World Affairs Councils of America was founded in 1918.[2] It is the largest nonprofit international affairs organization in the United States.
In mid-February 2011, Chairman of the Board Ambassador Marc Grossman stepped down to become the United States Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, replacing Richard Holbrooke. In June 2011, Ambassador Paula Dobriansky filled the position of Chair of the National Board. In June 2015, WACA announced that Ambassador Roman Popadiuk who served as the first United States Ambassador to Ukraine under George H. W. Bush, from 1992 to 1993, has been elected the new chairman of the national Board of Directors. Following a three-month co-chair period, Glenn Creamer succeeded Popadiuk as chairman in November 2020, chosen for his work as chairman of the Catholic Relief Services Foundation.
In 2014, the World Affairs Councils of America won the Diversity and Inclusion (DANDI) Award in the international category.[3]
Programs
The World Affairs Councils of America supports a group of 93 councils who present programs annually.[citation needed] The Councils sponsor international exchanges, school programs, teachers workshops, foreign policy discussions, national opinion polls, travel programs, young professionals’ programs, conferences, and corporate programs.
The national association organizes an annual conference, leadership missions to other nations, a speaker referral system, international speaker exchanges, people-to-people diplomacy missions, educational workshops, book tours, subscription discounts, operations workshops, and video-conferences. It has also run national program series such as World Bank Town Meetings, Two Koreas, Future of Russia, Western Hemisphere, Human Rights Worldwide, the EU, Rising Anti-Americanism, American Security, UN Reform, and The People Speak.
WACA has four flagship programs: Academic WorldQuest, Leadership Missions, the annual National Conference, and the Engage America speaker series. The National Conference is an annual event that engages diplomats, experts, members from the business, civic, and education communities with leading policy. Academic WorldQuest is an annual team-based international affairs, geography, history, and culture competition for high school students sponsored by the World Affairs Councils of America.[4] The WorldQuest has been held every year since 2003. WorldQuest was created in 1995 by Jennifer Watson Roberts of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte.
In order to compete at the national WorldQuest competition, teams must first win at their regional council level (usually held from November to March). Every year, 4,000 high school students across the country participate in local competitions hosted by their World Affairs Council.
| National champions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | High School | Council |
| 2006 | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology | World Affairs Councils of Washington D.C. |
| 2007 | Daniel Hand High School | World Affairs Forum (Stamford) |
| 2008 | North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics | International Affairs Council of Raleigh |
| 2009 | DuPont Manual High School | World Affairs Council of Kentucky and S. Indiana |
| 2010 | DuPont Manual High School | World Affairs Council of Kentucky and S. Indiana |
| 2011 | Plano Senior High School | World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth |
| 2012 | Plano Senior High School | World Affairs Councils of Dallas/Fort Worth |
| 2013 | Plano West Senior High School | World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth |
| 2014 | Plano West Senior High School | World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth |
| 2015 | DuPont Manual High School | World Affairs Council of Kentucky and S. Indiana |
| 2016 | Keystone School | World Affairs Council of San Antonio |
| 2017 | Plano West Senior High School | World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth |
| 2018 | Plano West Senior High School | World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth |
| 2019 | Jasper High School[5] | World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth |
Leadership missions
For more than a decade, the WACA has been invited to bring small delegations of council leaders to learn about a host country. A leadership mission consists of an overseas fact-finding visit to a city, country, or organization by a delegation of the World Affairs Council.
| Host Countries | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Year | Country | Year | Country |
| 1998 | China | 2006 | Taiwan |
| South Korea | Tunisia | ||
| Taiwan | 2007 | Germany | |
| 1999 | Japan | Saudi Arabia | |
| Singapore | Taiwan | ||
| 2000 | Morocco | 2008 | Israel |
| Northern Ireland | South Korea | ||
| 2001 | Taiwan | UAE | |
| 2002 | Israel | 2009 | China |
| Lebanon | Iraq | ||
| Libya | Oman | ||
| 2003 | Jordan | 2010 | Taiwan |
| Mexico | 2011 | Azerbaijan | |
| Poland | Taiwan | ||
| 1996 | Japan | 2012 | Afghanistan |
| 1997 | Brazil | China | |
| 2004 | Kuwait | 2013 | Taiwan |
| Lebanon | 2014 | China | |
| Taiwan | 2015 | Taiwan | |
| 2005 | Egypt | 2016 | Israel |
| 2018 | Qatar | ||
| EU/NATO | |||
Engage America Speakers Series
The Speakers Series includes partnerships between the National Office and think tanks, foundations, publishing companies, and government agencies to provide speakers to America's communities through our local councils on the critical global issues of our times.
Individual councils
Members councils are located in 40 states, as well as in D.C. and Puerto Rico. Councils are funded through membership dues, corporate sponsorships, grants, in-kind donations, fundraising events, and fee-for-service activities. Over 2,000 corporations, foundations, and individuals help support council work.
| State | Name | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama World Affairs Council | Montgomery |
| Alaska | Alaska World Affairs Council | Anchorage |
| Juneau World Affairs Council | Juneau | |
| Arizona | World Affairs Council of Arizona | Scottsdale |
| California | World Affairs Council of Orange County | Irvine |
| Los Angeles World Affairs Council | Los Angeles | |
| World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay Area | Monterey | |
| World Affairs Council of the Desert | Palm Springs | |
| World Affairs Council of Inland S. California | Riverside | |
| World Affairs Council California Central Coast | Ventura | |
| San Diego World Affairs Council | San Diego | |
| World Affairs Council (Northern California) | San Francisco | |
| World Affairs Council of Sonoma County | Santa Rosa | |
| Colorado | Colorado Springs World Affairs Council | Colorado Springs |
| Denver World Affairs Council | Denver | |
| Colorado Foothills World Affairs Council | Littleton | |
| World Affairs Council of Western Colorado | Grand Junction | |
| Connecticut | World Affairs Council of Connecticut | Hartford |
| World Affairs Forum | Stamford | |
| Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council | Waterford | |
| Delaware | World Affairs Council of Wilmington | Wilmington |
| District of Columbia | World Affairs Council of Washington, DC | Washington, D.C. |
| Florida | World Affairs Council of Central Florida | Orlando |
| World Affairs Council of Jacksonville | Jacksonville | |
| World Affairs Council of Miami | Miami | |
| Naples Council on World Affairs | Naples | |
| World Affairs Council of Palm Beach | Palm Beach | |
| Sarasota World Affairs Council | Sarasota | |
| Georgia | World Affairs Council of Atlanta | Atlanta |
| Savannah Council on World Affairs | Savannah | |
| Hawaii | Pacific and Asian Affairs Council | Honolulu |
| Illinois | Peoria Area World Affairs Council | Peoria |
| World Affairs Council of Central Illinois | Springfield | |
| Indiana | Indiana Council on World Affairs | Indianapolis |
| Iowa | World Affairs Council of the Quad Cities | Davenport-Bettendorf |
| Kentucky | World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana | Louisville |
| Louisiana | World Affairs Council of New Orleans | New Orleans |
| Maine | World Affairs Council of Maine | Portland |
| Massachusetts | WorldBoston | Boston |
| World Affairs Council of W. Massachusetts | Springfield | |
| Worcester World Affairs Council | Worcester | |
| Michigan | World Affairs Council of Detroit | Detroit |
| World Affairs Council of W. Michigan | Grand Rapids | |
| International Affairs Forum | Traverse City | |
| Minnesota | Global Minnesota | Minneapolis |
| Missouri | International Relations Council | Kansas City |
| World Affairs Council of St. Louis | St. Louis | |
| Montana | Montana World Affairs Council | Missoula |
| Nevada | World Affairs Council of Las Vegas | Las Vegas |
| Northern Nevada International Center | Reno | |
| New Hampshire | World Affairs Council of New Hampshire | Manchester |
| New Jersey | World Affairs Council of New Jersey | Paramus |
| New Mexico | Santa Fe Council on International Relations | Santa Fe |
| New York | International Institute of Buffalo | Buffalo |
| International Center of the Capital Region | Troy | |
| Foreign Policy Association | New York City | |
| World Affairs Council of Mid-Hudson Valley | Poughkeepsie | |
| World Affairs Council of Rochester | Rochester | |
| North Carolina | World Affairs Council of W. North Carolina | Asheville |
| World Affairs Council of Charlotte | Charlotte | |
| Ohio | Akron Council on World Affairs | Akron |
| Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council | Cincinnati | |
| Cleveland Council on World Affairs | Cleveland | |
| Columbus Council on World Affairs | Columbus | |
| Dayton Council on World Affairs | Dayton | |
| World Affairs Council of Northwest Ohio | Stony Ridge | |
| Oregon | World Affairs Council of Oregon | Portland |
| Pennsylvania | World Affairs Council of Harrisburg | Harrisburg |
| World Affairs Council of Philadelphia | Philadelphia | |
| World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | |
| World Affairs Council of Greater Reading | Reading | |
| Puerto Rico | World Affairs Council of Puerto Rico | |
| Rhode Island | World Affairs Council of Rhode Island | Providence |
| South Carolina | Columbia World Affairs Council | Columbia |
| World Affairs Council of Hilton Head | Hilton Head | |
| World Affairs Council of Charleston | Charleston | |
| World Affairs Council Upstate | Greenville | |
| South Dakota | South Dakota World Affairs Council | Brookings |
| Tennessee | Tennessee World Affairs Council | Nashville |
| Texas | North American Borderplex Council | El Paso |
| World Affairs Council of Austin | Austin | |
| World Affairs Council of South Texas | Corpus Christi | |
| World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth | Dallas | |
| World Affairs Council of Greater Houston | Houston | |
| World Affairs Council of San Antonio | San Antonio | |
| Utah | Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy | Salt Lake City |
| Vermont | Vermont Council on World Affairs | Burlington |
| Windham World Affairs Council | Brattleboro | |
| Virginia | World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads | Hampton Roads |
| World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond | Richmond | |
| Washington | Olympia World Affairs Council | Olympia |
| World Affairs Council of Seattle | Seattle | |
| World Affairs Council of Spokane | Spokane | |
| World Affairs Council of Tacoma | Tacoma | |
| Wisconsin | Institute of World Affairs | Milwaukee |
Notes
- ^ a b "World Affairs Councils of America" (PDF). Foundation Center. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "What We Do". World Affairs Councils of America. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ "The DandI Awards Post Release" (PDF).
- ^ "WorldQuest on the World Affairs Councils of America Website".
- ^ "WACA | 2019 Competition". World Affairs Councils of America. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
External links
- World Affairs Councils of America
Authority control databases  | |
|---|---|
| International |
|
| National |
|
