Category: General

Monterey County Gives!, aka MCGives!, is a fundraising program for nonprofit organizations in Monterey County that is run by the Community Foundation for Monterey County, the Monterey County Weekly, and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. Founded in 2009, MCGives! adds additional prorated funds to every dollar raised by a participating organization in support of its “Big Idea.” Last year, WACMB raised more than $6000 through MCGives!

So what’s our Big Idea? It’s not just an idea any more: WACMB is bringing Academic WorldQuest to Monterey County high schools. What, you ask, is Academic WorldQuest? It’s the flagship youth education program of the World Affairs Councils of America (which is the umbrella organization for the more than 90 World Affairs Councils across the United States). Structured as a fun, fast-paced team competition for high school students, Academic WorldQuest tests players’ knowledge of current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures. The program fits nicely with WACMB’s longtime support for local students who are interested in international affairs. WACMB will use funds raised through MCGives! to sponsor Monterey County’s first annual Academic World Quest competition, which will be held in February 2023. We will also pay to send Monterey County’s winning team to Washington, DC, to compete in the national championships in April 2023.

How can you support this Big Idea through MCGives!? It’s easy! Beginning November 10, just go to the WACMB page on the Monterey County Gives! website and follow the directions there to make a donation online in support of WACMB’s sponsorship of Academic WorldQuest. If you’d rather send a check, make it payable to Community Foundation for Monterey County and write WACMB in the Memo line or on an attached note. (Please do NOT make your check out to WACMB.) Mail your check to CFMC, Attn. MCGives!, 2354 Garden Road, Monterey, CA, 93940.

Don’t delay! The program runs from November 10 through December 31. Also remember: the more we donate, the more our donations will generate additional funds. So be generous!

When you join the World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area, you become part of an organization of thoughtful and engaged global citizens who seek to learn more about contemporary world affairs. You can see benefits provided to the public by the Council, and the additional benefits for members, on our web page at https://www.wacmb.org/membership/

Please join us at an upcoming event or discussion group and consider becoming a member of the Council or renewing your current membership.

Our Regards,

Judith Glickman
President of The World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area

Calling all high-school teachers, parents, students…

Interested in providing a focus on International Affairs and having your students compete locally for prize money and a trip to Washington DC for a national competition?

The World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay will sponsor a countywide Academic World Quest (AWQ) competition during the 2022-23 academic year.

Each Monterey County high school is invited to send a team of four students to compete in the Monterey County AWQ competition on February 11, 2023.

Each school must have a teacher serving as coach to a team of four high school students. Each coach who brings a team of four to the local competition will receive a stipend of $325.

Students in the top three teams in Monterey County will receive the following awards:

• First place team members will receive $300 each and an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, DC to participate in the national AWQ competition in the spring of 2023. Their coach will also receive the trip and an additional $675.
• Second place team members will receive $200 each.
• Third place team members will receive $100 each.

For a look at 2021-2022 academic year competition click here.

For more detailed information contact Linda Dilger at AWQ@wacmb.org

Dear WACMB Member,

As part of our growing cooperation with other World Affairs Councils throughout California, I am delighted to invite you to an All-California WAC online event: a talk by Dr. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, on “US Foreign Policy Amid Global Crisis.”  For decades, Dr. Haass has been among the premier American observers of US foreign policy in an uncertain world, and with the unfolding events in Ukraine his insights are critical. The talk will be moderated by Col. Richard Downie, US Army (ret.), and takes place on March 29 at 11:00 am PST.

The event is free, but you must register at this link.

Our sister chapter in Los Angeles is handling the logistics for the event, including this sign-in page.  You will have the chance to note that you are affiliated with the Monterey chapter.

Please join me for this exciting California-wide online event!

Cheers,

Glenn Robinson

WACMB President

Dear World Affairs Council Member:

Your World Affairs Council, in partnership with other California WACs, is pleased to invite you to a digital presentation by Prof. Dan Schnur on “Biden at a Crossroads: What We’ll Learn from His State of the Union Speech” (which takes place immediately after Dr. Schnur’s presentation).

The event is free, but you must register at:
https://lawacth.force.com/LightningMemberPortal/s/lt-event?id=a1Y3h000000WycdEAC&site=a0d3h000000K7kIAAS

Dr. Schnur’s talk takes place next Tuesday, March 1, at 5:00 pm.  Please enjoy this content and look forward to more California-wide events!

Cheers,
Glenn E. Robinson
WACMB President

Dear WAC Members,

We are pushing back our start of in-person luncheons from early January to late February because of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. This variant is expected to crest in Monterey County in January, and is highly contagious, even among the vaccinated who have not had a booster shot. For the health of our members, we thought a slight delay would be prudent.

Dr. Tom Johnson has agreed to push back his talk to us on Afghanistan accordingly. Members who have already paid for the luncheon (including me!) can choose to put that money toward the February talk or be reimbursed. Please contact us at info@wacmb.org to indicate your choice.

We will provide details about the February luncheon in the next few weeks. But please be advised that we will be requiring evidence at the door of full vaccination plus booster in order to attend. This is for the health of us all.

I very much appreciate the patience and support our members have shown. Better days are ahead — see you in February!

Glenn E. Robinson
President

A National Youth Education Program of the World Affairs Councils of America

World Quest Competition tests high school students’ knowledge of international affairs. A fun, fast-paced contest, in which 4-person teams from schools compete by answering questions from 10 categories as specified by the World Affairs Councils of America. For more information about the national competition click here.

Purpose

Preparing the next generation of leaders, scholars, and decision-makers to thrive in a rapidly changing world – where our national interests are intertwined with the global community – is one of the greatest challenges facing our country. It requires a renewed enthusiasm for global studies in our high schools. Too many American students today fall behind their counterparts from other countries in their knowledge and understanding of world history, geography, and current international events. The mission of Academic WorldQuest is to close the gap.

AWQ Study Guide and Topics

The World Affairs Councils of America’s AWQ Official Study Guide is the primary resource to help students and teachers prepare for the topics covered in the timed question-and-answer AWQ competitions hosted by local Councils. Councils may adapt these topics to align with their local programming initiatives. 

The AWQ Study Guide is also an essential resource for the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition, hosted by WACA every April in Washington, DC.

Winning teams are invited to represent their high school, city, and local Council at the national AWQ championship weekend, which includes the competition, unique programming planned to enhance the global education experience, and an opportunity to meet and engage with approximately 250 like-minded peers from around the United States.

Local event: Saturday, March 19th, 2022 10:00am -4:00pm

The winning team and teacher will earn an all-expenses-paid trip to
Washington D.C. to compete at the national level on April 29 & 30 2022.

For more information about the local competition contact the following:

• For Study Guides contact: Maria Morgan at info@wacmb.org
• For general event information contact:
  • Dora Salazar, Director Teaching & Learning at dorsalazar@montereycoe.org
  • Jessica McCue, Administrative Assistant at jmccue@montereycoe.org or phone 831.755.0346