Great Decisions
Great Decisions promotes citizen engagement in foreign policy issues. Run by the Foreign Policy Association in New York, it is the oldest and largest grassroots educational program on world affairs of its kind in the country. It is based on a book published in January each year with eight new foreign affairs topics. The topics are the basis of discussion groups, public lectures, a PBS television series, and a national opinion poll. Some 350,000 people and 450 colleges use Great Decisions around the country. The program has been running since 1954.
World in Transition
Southern Center of International Studies, our Atlanta council, produces multimedia curriculum units for use in classrooms around the country. The series is called World in Transition. These teacher-friendly units cover Latin America, Africa, East Asia, Russia and Eurasia, and Europe. The South Asia unit is due out soon. Several state school systems have adopted the materials, which are used by thousands of teachers and students around the country. Individual councils put on teachers workshops with the Southern Center around the country.
WorldQuest
The national association hosts a national high-school world affairs knowledge competition called Academic WorldQuest in Washington every year. Some 50 teams, sponsored by local councils, meet prominent Washingtonians, see the Smithsonian Museums, meet people from the media, go to Capitol Steps, and compete in a major institutional setting. Some 30 councils now host local WorldQuest competitions to choose their high school team. WorldQuest was invented by Jennifer Watson Roberts and the Charlotte Council. About 25 councils play it at the adult level as well.
It’s Your World
Our San Francisco world affairs council hosts a one-hour weekly radio program called It's Your World on KQED radio moderated by the council president. It is a news, interview, discussion, and call-in program on world news. It has been running for over 50 years and has a broad listener base in the Bay Area. The council system is seeking to have it syndicated throughout the country in the NPR system. |