PRESS RELEASE: March 11, 2016

Souhegan High School to Represent New Hampshire at National Academic WorldQuest Competition in Washington D.C.

The World Affairs Council of NH’s Hosts Second Annual Global Education Competition

MANCHESTER- On Saturday, March 5, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire hosted its second annual Academic WorldQuest competition at Southern New Hampshire University. Academic WorldQuest is a quiz-style team competition that tests high school students’ knowledge of international affairs.

11 teams from around the state competed to represent New Hampshire at the National Academic WorldQuest Competition in Washington D.C. on April 23. Out of the participating schools, Souhegan High School took first place, with Oyster River High School in a close second, and St. Thomas Aquinas High School rounding out the top three. Other competing teams represented The Derryfield School; Manchester High School West; Portsmouth High School; and Pinkerton Academy.

The Souhegan High team included students Claire Foley, Callie Cinque, Hannah Gillis, Zack Anton, and Marco Vogt; team coach was teacher Matt McDonald (top middle).

The team received four iPads donated by SNHU to support the school’s Academic WorldQuest program as well as the trip to Washington to compete at the national competition hosted by the World Affairs Councils of America.

This year’s competition also featured a keynote speech from New Hampshire’s own award-winning innovator, Deepika Kurup. Kurup, a native of Nashua and current student at Harvard University, developed a simple and inexpensive water purification technique using solar energy. In 2015, she was named as one of Forbes30 under 30 in Energy for 2015.

Academic WorldQuest was funded, in part, by the General. William Mayer Foundation and the Saul O. Sidore Memorial Foundation. 2016 sponsors are Southern New Hampshire University, Students Love Travel, Manchester Community College, The Derryfield School; Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant; and the India Association of New Hampshire.

The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire is a non-profit, non-partisan organization fostering learning, discussion and citizen involvement in world affairs.  The Council is preparing the Granite State for a global future by creating and sustaining international connections that enhance our state's cultural, economic and civic life; building global knowledge and understanding through educational programs for communities and schools on foreign policy; and furthering the development of international leaders in partnership with the U.S. State Department.