Welcome back to another year of exciting World Affairs Council of Philadelphia high school programming! We are excited to announce a host of new programming for this academic year. Given the uncertainty and complexities surrounding the coronavirus, we have revamped our programming to be accessible and engaging in a virtual space.

New this year: The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia will be hosting a monthly speaker series of academics, policy experts, and researchers to speak exclusively with our student and faculty partners. These exchanges will be geared toward student participants, and will revolve around a host of domestic and international issues including climate change, protest movements, higher education, and more. These speaker programs will be separate from the Council's larger speaker series, and will focus on the issues and topics that students prioritize. Each session will include a Q&A with the speaker, as well as optional breakout sessions at the conclusion of the program for students to continue the conversation.

In addition, the Council will be offering a debate series for interested students. In teams of six, students will debate key domestic and international policy decisions, while honing their rhetoric and public speaking skills. Debates will be held three times throughout the year, and topics will respond to key current events, global affairs, and ongoing conflicts.

The Council is also excited to announce its partnership with iThrive Games Foundation, and will offer iThrive Sim Programming: a series of innovative, virtual simulations that are facilitated through a web-based, device agnostic platform. The first of these simulations is Lives in Balance: a six-participant role-play where students serve as U.S. government officials who must decide when and how to reopen the economies of four Southwestern states during a global pandemic. They contend with conflicting information from multiple sources including experts in infectious disease and commerce, and the voice of the people. The information changes quickly and forces students to advocate their positions, negotiate, and compromise to take care of both their constituents and the nation. Additional iThrive simulation opportunities will be available to teachers, home school parents, and students throughout the academic year.

Finally, we are proud to announce that we will host our signature simulation programs in a virtual format. Our first program of the year, the International Student Summit: Restarting the Global Economy post COVID-19 - A Model G7+5 Summit will explore the economic challenges brought forth by the coronavirus, and potential solutions to one of the greatest challenges of modern history. Our second signature program of the year will be The Global Economic Forum scheduled for March 2021, and will focus on ongoing efforts to combat the climate emergency.

The membership fee for the 2020-2021 academic school year is $250 per school. The membership fee for a homeschool group of 5 or more students is $100. Upon submitting the online registration form below, your school will receive an invoice within two weeks for the appropriate membership fee. All invoices, in addition to membership and programming correspondence, will be sent via email to the school or homeschool group's primary faculty adviser.

*If your school requires financial assistance to support your participation with the Council, or if you are a parent or homeschool group with less than 5 students but interested in participating this year, please contact Kasey Trapp, Associate Director of Student Programs, at ktrapp@wacphila.org.