Academic WorldQuest Competition

The Academic WorldQuest Competition is an exciting global trivia competition for high school students, in teams of four, to test their international IQ.  The winning team wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Academic WorldQuest Competition.

Academic WorldQuest is a flagship program of the World Affairs Councils of America, a network of over 90 councils that engages more than 4,000 high school students annually across the U.S. to test their knowledge of global issues and foreign policy. As the World Affairs Council of Hawai’i, PAAC annually host the Regional Academic WorldQuest Competition for state High School students.

2025 Regional Academic WorldQuest COmpetition

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, March 1, 2025

Time: 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM

Location: Hawai'i Convention Center, Room 304AB -Third Floor 1801 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

Neighbor Island students will compete from satellite sites on each island.

During the competition, student teams are asked 10 multiple choice questions per competition category. The 6 regional categories for the upcoming competition are:

  • USA and Foreign Languages

  • Space and National Security

  • Music & Globalization

  • Indigenous Peacebuilding

  • Borders and Boundaries

  • County Focus: Mexico

Use this link to access the Regional Study Guide!

Team Applications are now OPEN for the upcoming Hawai’i Regional Competition. Students must compete in teams of four and all team members must be from the same High School. Both the TEAM form and INDIVIDUAL RSVP form must be completed by all team members in order for the team to compete.

Students from all public, private, and charter schools within the state of Hawai’i are welcome to apply!

Registration deadlines:

  • Early Registration Deadline: December 20, 2024

    First come-first serve for front row seats

  • Final Registration Deadline (without fees): February 16, 2025 

  • Late Registration Deadline: February 21, 2025

    Late fee: $25 per team member

Want to Learn more?

Click here to check out a recording of the Virtual WorldQuest Launch party (pw: !cJ8pNV5)! If you have any questions, you can also reach out to Cheyenne Prater at program@paachawaii.org or 808-944-7783

Interested in volunteering?

Join the Coaching Program!

PAAC is currently recruiting volunteers to sign on as coaches for next year’s competition! We are seeking graduate students and community experts to coach student teams on the six regional competition categories.

Learn more here >>