World Affairs Councils of America


The World Affairs Councils of America is a network of 93 autonomous and nonpartisan councils across 40 states.

History

The World Affairs Councils of America was founded in 1918. 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.
In 2014, the World Affairs Councils of America won the Diversity and Inclusion Award in the international category.

Programs

The World Affairs Councils of America supports a group of 93 councils who present programs annually. 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. 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. Every year, 4,000 high school students across the country participate in local competitions hosted by their World Affairs Council.

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.

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.
StateNameOffice
AlabamaAlabama World Affairs CouncilMontgomery
AlaskaAlaska World Affairs CouncilAnchorage
AlaskaJuneau World Affairs CouncilJuneau
ArizonaWorld Affairs Council of ArizonaScottsdale
CaliforniaWorld Affairs Council of Orange CountyIrvine
CaliforniaLos Angeles World Affairs CouncilLos Angeles
CaliforniaWorld Affairs Council of Monterey Bay AreaMonterey
CaliforniaWorld Affairs Council of the DesertPalm Springs
CaliforniaWorld Affairs Council of Inland S. CaliforniaRiverside
CaliforniaWorld Affairs Council California Central CoastVentura
CaliforniaSan Diego World Affairs CouncilSan Diego
CaliforniaWorld Affairs Council San Francisco
CaliforniaWorld Affairs Council of Sonoma CountySanta Rosa
ColoradoColorado Springs World Affairs CouncilColorado Springs
ColoradoDenver World Affairs CouncilDenver
ColoradoColorado Foothills World Affairs CouncilLittleton
ColoradoWorld Affairs Council of Western ColoradoGrand Junction
ConnecticutWorld Affairs Council of ConnecticutHartford
ConnecticutWorld Affairs ForumStamford
ConnecticutSoutheast Connecticut World Affairs CouncilWaterford
DelawareWorld Affairs Council of WilmingtonWilmington
District of ColumbiaWorld Affairs Council of Washington, DCWashington, D.C.
FloridaWorld Affairs Council of JacksonvilleJacksonville
FloridaNaples Council on World AffairsNaples
FloridaWorld Affairs Council of Palm BeachPalm Beach
FloridaSarasota World Affairs CouncilSarasota
FloridaWorld Affairs Council of Central FloridaOrlando
GeorgiaWorld Affairs Council of AtlantaAtlanta
GeorgiaSavannah Council on World AffairsSavannah
HawaiiPacific and Asian Affairs CouncilHonolulu
IllinoisPeoria Area World Affairs CouncilPeoria
IllinoisWorld Affairs Council of Central IllinoisSpringfield
IndianaIndiana Council on World AffairsIndianapolis
IowaWorld Affairs Council of the Quad CitiesDavenport-Bettendorf
KentuckyWorld Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern IndianaLouisville
LouisianaWorld Affairs Council of New OrleansNew Orleans
MaineWorld Affairs Council of MainePortland
MassachusettsWorldBostonBoston
MassachusettsWorld Affairs Council of W. MassachusettsSpringfield
MassachusettsWorcester World Affairs CouncilWorcester
MichiganWorld Affairs Council of DetroitDetroit
MichiganWorld Affairs Council of W. MichiganGrand Rapids
MichiganInternational Affairs ForumTraverse City
MinnesotaGlobal MinnesotaMinneapolis
MissouriInternational Relations CouncilKansas City
MissouriWorld Affairs Council of St. LouisSt. Louis
MontanaMontana World Affairs CouncilMissoula
NevadaWorld Affairs Council of Las VegasLas Vegas
NevadaNorthern Nevada International CenterReno
New HampshireWorld Affairs Council of New HampshireManchester
New JerseyWorld Affairs Council of New JerseyParamus
New MexicoSanta Fe Council on International RelationsSanta Fe
New YorkInternational Institute of BuffaloBuffalo
New YorkInternational Center of the Capital RegionTroy
New YorkForeign Policy AssociationNew York City
New YorkWorld Affairs Council of Mid-Hudson ValleyPoughkeepsie
New YorkWorld Affairs Council of RochesterRochester
North CarolinaWorld Affairs Council of W. North CarolinaAsheville
North CarolinaWorld Affairs Council of CharlotteCharlotte
OhioAkron Council on World AffairsAkron
OhioGreater Cincinnati World Affairs CouncilCincinnati
OhioCleveland Council on World AffairsCleveland
OhioColumbus Council on World AffairsColumbus
OhioDayton Council on World AffairsDayton
OhioWorld Affairs Council of Northwest OhioStony Ridge
OregonWorld Affairs Council of OregonPortland
PennsylvaniaWorld Affairs Council of HarrisburgHarrisburg
PennsylvaniaWorld Affairs Council of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia
PennsylvaniaWorld Affairs Council of PittsburghPittsburgh
PennsylvaniaWorld Affairs Council of Greater ReadingReading
Puerto RicoWorld Affairs Council of Puerto Rico
Rhode IslandWorld Affairs Council of Rhode IslandProvidence
South CarolinaColumbia World Affairs CouncilColumbia
South CarolinaWorld Affairs Council of Hilton HeadHilton Head
South CarolinaWorld Affairs Council of CharlestonCharleston
South CarolinaWorld Affairs Council UpstateGreenville
South DakotaSouth Dakota World Affairs CouncilBrookings
TennesseeTennessee World Affairs CouncilNashville
TexasNorth American Borderplex CouncilEl Paso
TexasWorld Affairs Council of AustinAustin
TexasWorld Affairs Council of South TexasCorpus Christi
TexasWorld Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort WorthDallas
TexasWorld Affairs Council of Greater HoustonHouston
TexasWorld Affairs Council of San AntonioSan Antonio
UtahUtah Council for Citizen DiplomacySalt Lake City
VermontVermont Council on World AffairsBurlington
VermontWindham World Affairs CouncilBrattleboro
VirginiaWorld Affairs Council of Greater Hampton RoadsHampton Roads
VirginiaWorld Affairs Council of Greater RichmondRichmond
WashingtonOlympia World Affairs CouncilOlympia
WashingtonWorld Affairs Council of SeattleSeattle
WashingtonWorld Affairs Council of SpokaneSpokane
WashingtonWorld Affairs Council of TacomaTacoma
WisconsinInstitute of World AffairsMilwaukee