Our Commitment to Education

 

One of the most important components of the mission of the World Affairs Council of Montana is education, particularly at the secondary level. Many factors hinder our schools’ ability to emphasize international issues, such as a lack of access to updated material, the demand on teachers’ time, budget constraints, and the difficulties teachers face in the pursuit of professional development opportunities that focus on world affairs.

The Council is committed to help offset these hindrances by offering the following services: Providing free membership to K-12 educators and students, bringing distinguished speakers directly to the classroom, aiding in the creation of international exchanges between teachers and students, finding professional development opportunities for teachers, and implementing video conference technologies to put students directly in touch with key policymakers.

 

Academic World Quest »

Academic WorldQuest is a Flagship program of the World Affairs Councils of America. This program has grown from our first competition in 2005, with three teams, to the 2009 competition, where more than 30 teams from around the state came to Missoula for the event. This exciting high school competition tests competitors’ knowledge of international issues in areas like geography, history, current events, culture and more. Students and teachers alike have found the competition to be a fun and challenging way to expand our knowledge about the world around us.

Please see our Academic WorldQuest page for more detailed information on this program.

 « Update! The 2009 winning team from Billings Skyview traveled to Washington D.C. in April to represent Montana at the national competition! Congratulations!

 

Teacher Workshops »

“Discover Turkey”

The World Affairs Council of Montana was selected to participate in the Turkish Cultural Program in 2008 and 2009 as thanks to generous grants from the Turkish Cultural Foundation. There were three parts to these programs: 1) A K-12 teacher workshop, with guest presenters to bring greater understanding of Turkish culture, history, government, traditions, and authentic Turkish cuisine; 2) A ten day travel-study tour in Turkey; and 3) A community presentation celebrating Turkish culture.

Please visit our Teacher Workshops page for more details on these incredible trips and other workshop opportunities! 

 

World In Transition »

The Council recently introduced into local high schools the award winning “World In Transition” series of supplemental teaching materials, developed by the Southern Center for International Studies (SCIS) in Atlanta, Georgia. This series of resources includes lesson plans, videos, background essays and teaching aides focusing on different regions around the world. The Council also sponsored the visit of several Montana teachers to a workshop held in Georgia.

 

High School Visits »

The World Affairs Council of Montana brings distinguished speakers to the classroom and other high school settings to give our students incredible experiences. Speakers often have demanding schedules, but those who have spoken directly to a high school audience find the experience greatly rewarding.

In the past, the Council has brought Sir Eldon Griffiths to Hellgate High School to discuss the importance of the US-EU relationship, conflicts that have arisen between them, and the changing face of the European Union itself. Sir Eldon Griffiths is a former member of the British Parliament and current President of the World Affairs Council of Orange County.

Likewise, Ambassador Philip Wilcox, the President of the Foundation of Middle East Peace (FMEP) and former U.S. negotiator, spoke to a packed classroom at Big Sky High School on developments in the Middle East.

The Council has also created a partnership with the Montana Model United Nations conference (MMUN) that brings nearly 500 Montana high school students to Missoula each November.

 

Overseas Visits »

In the Fall of 2003, the Council helped sponsor a grant with the US State Department for Hellgate High School for an exchange program in China. Two teachers and ten students visited China that same Fall, and Chinese students and teachers were hosted here in Missoula.

 

Videoconferencing »

The Council is also pursuing a pilot program that would link policymakers directly to the classroom via videoconferencing technologies. We had a similar videoconference event in December 2001, with then Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman, which focused on the War on Terrorism.

 

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We will continue to keep our members informed on developments with these initiatives and we appreciate your continued support for our educational programs. For further information, please contact Aubrie Lyons at (406) 728-3328, or email: wacworldquest@gmail.com.

 

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