Student Education Programs
Our students are the future, a future that becomes the present in less time than ever before. We at the CSWAC are proud to offer our students a chance to learn and excel through the programs below with are made possible in part by a grant from the Jim & Diane Cameron Educational Fund. Please feel free to contact us for more information regarding any of the listed programs. Click here to Contact our Education Program Chair.
Click here for the High School Education Programs Letter.
High School Symposium
Conducted annually since 1989, the High School Symposium is conducted each fall at Colorado College. Centered on topics developed for the USAF Academy's annual "Academy Assembly", the Symposium provides a forum in which high school students from the Pikes Peak region participate in roundtable discussions of key issues in international relations and world affairs. The World Affairs Council provides financial support for student transportation, an honorarium for the keynote speaker and moderators for the round table discussions. Click here to Contact our Education Program Chair.
September 29, 2011 High School Symposium
Topic: "The Arab Spring: Defying Dictatorship"
The Colorado Springs World Affairs Council will host its 22nd annual High School Symposium on Thursday, September 29, 2011 in Armstrong Hall on the campus of Colorado College. This year’s topic will be “The Arab Spring: Defying Dictatorship.” Many contributing factors will be addressed, including the roles of social media, the collapse of autocratic regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, and severe challenges to the ruling elite in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
The format for the symposium will feature a keynote address by Ambassador Richard Fairbanks who has been involved with Middle East peace initiatives for many years. There will be:
- a debate between teams from Colorado College and the Air Force Academy on one aspect of the topic,
- several roundtable discussion groups that allow the students to participate directly in the symposium,
- a plenary session that presents the major conclusions of the respective roundtables,
- and after lunch, a film related to the topic and a discussion of the film.
The symposium in 2010 attracted approximately 250 students and teachers from 12 local high schools, and comparable numbers are expected this fall. There is no registration fee or other costs to the participating students, teachers, or high schools. Dr. Robert Lee from Colorado College and Dr. Fran Pilch from the Air Force Academy direct the High School Symposium.
Recommended Reading:
Demystifying the Arab Spring (requires registration, but it's free until 9-21-11). By: Lisa Anderson.
The Rise of the Islamists (requires registration, but it's free until 9-21-11). By: Shadi Hamid.
Understanding the Revolutions of 2011 (requires registration). By: Jack A. Goldstone.
Get a student discount for a Foreign Affairs subscritption at:
College International Relations Committee
Begun in 2005, this program provides financial support for local college students engaged in world affairs programs. For example, in 2006, the council provided a grant to a team of students from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs to participate in an international Model United Nations competition. This program also sponsors college student participation at Council Broadmoor luncheons by subsidizing student attendance for students from educational institutions that purchase organizational memberships in the Council. Click here to Contact our Education Program Chair.
World AcademicQuest
The World Affairs Council of America began hosting national competitions in this "knowledge bowl" of world affairs in 2005. Each year, the Colorado Springs WAC has hosted a local competition, inviting area high school teams to square off in a fast-paced, wide ranging test of their knowledge of world affairs. Since 2005, the local Council has provided financial and administrative support for the local winner to travel to the National AWQ springtime competition in Washington DC. Click here to Contact our Education Program Chair.
Model United Nations
Working in cooperation with the local chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States, the CSWAC has provided financial support for local high school teams to participate in regional Model UN Conferences. Click here to Contact our Education Program Chair.
School Luncheon Program
Each month, the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council subsidizes attendance at our flagship luncheon program at the Broadmoor for approximately 20 middle and high school students from the Pikes Peak region. Over the past 5 years, hundreds of local students have been able to listen to our high profile guest speakers' presentations on items of contemporary interest in world affairs. The program exposes students to key issues, prominent world figures, and community leaders in world affairs. Click here to Contact our Education Program Chair.
World Affairs Challenge
Conducted each spring at the University of Denver, this competition for junior and senior high school teams features four types of competition focused on world affairs: prepared presentations, impromptu presentations, posters and a global awareness quiz. Several dozens of schools from throughout Colorado compete, their work judged by a large panel of adult professionals. The Colorado Springs World Affairs Council provides grants to support the months of preparation and transportation to DU for local teams competing in the event. Click here to Contact our Education Program Chair.
