Citizen Diplomat Academy

Citizen Diplomat Academy is a free, direct enrollment virtual high school exchange program open to students (ages 14-18).  In this cohort-based model, students from the Greater Philadelphia region meet in live sessions with students from around the world over the course of five weeks to become citizen diplomats. Together, they develop key skills including cultural fluency, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and more to increase their comfort, and effectiveness as future leaders in a globalized world.

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About Our Student Programs

Fueling the region’s future leaders. The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia is a leader in educational international affairs programming, providing content and curriculum to 100 schools and serving 3,000 students in the region annually. It has served over one million students since 1949. Featuring large-scale conferences and workshops simulating global forums, the Council’s learning experiences empower students to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills to better understand the global 21st century and its economy.

Additionally, our students have access to leadership workshops, international community service projects, scholarship opportunities, and speaker events and private briefings with some of the leading public figures and scholars on the world stage today. Scroll down to learn more.

High School Programs

Membership provides high school students and educators from the Greater Philadelphia area unparalleled access to influential leaders and policymakers in the global arena as well our comprehensive suite of global education programming.

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Middle School Education Programs

The Council’s primary middle school program is our Jr. Model United Nations – Student Diplomat Program, which has given Philadelphia-area students the opportunity to step into the role of diplomats from around the world and create solutions to some of today’s most pressing global issues since the early years of our organization’s founding. The Council now offers the United Nations Summer Camp, for individual students interested in spending a week learning more about world affairs and the United Nations through activities and simulations led by Council staff and a variety of expert speaker briefings and workshops.

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Global Scholars Certificate Program

The Global Scholars Certificate advances the integration of global cultural awareness, critical thinking, and investigative skills into Pennsylvania's high school curriculum. The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia offers the Global Scholars Certificate to select high schools across the Commonwealth.

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Global Smarts Mentoring Program

The Global Smarts Mentoring Program is a rigorous global literacy tutoring program that pairs college-level student mentors from Saint Joseph's University with middle school students from under-resourced and low- to middle-income Philadelphia public, parochial and charter schools. Through weekly individual and small-group instruction, mentors provide students with the fundamental knowledge and skills needed to confidently participate in the Council's annual, region-wide Jr. Model United Nations Conference.

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Bodine High School for International Affairs

Founded in 1981 as a partnership between the School District of Philadelphia and the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, the William W. Bodine High School for International Affairs features a humanities and foreign-language centered college preparatory program and offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

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John Lazarich Leadership Liaison

Since Bodine's founding 37 years ago, the Council has provided a regularly scheduled, on-site liaison who works closely with Bodine students and faculty to augment the school’s international curriculum by providing a variety of global affairs programming, in-class speakers, special assemblies, international student exchange programs, and a diverse array of academic field trips and study abroad excursions.

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Global Education Resources

Informed students and citizens demand access to quality information. The Global Education Resources page aims to provide students and global citizens the resources they need to stay informed, educated and inquisitive about global affairs.

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Program Archive

Archived pages with details and information pertaining to programs from the last 4 years.

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Education Sponsors

  • AMETEK Foundation, Inc

  • The Ryan Charitable Trust

  • Comcast Foundation

  • Firstrust Bank

  • UGI Corporation

  • AmeriGas

  • Connelly Foundation

  • Leo Niessen, Jr. Charitable Trust

  • Temple University - Fox School of Business

  • University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

  • University of Pennsylvania - Middle East Center

  • University of Pennsylvania - South Asia Center

  • The Hellendall Family Foundation of North Carolina

  • Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation

  • The Samuel Tabas Family Foundation

  • Althea de Baun Budd Foundation

  • Quaker Chemical Foundation

  • Henrietta Tower Wurts Memorial

  • Hamilton Family Foundation

  • Greater Philadelphia Elementary Education Foundation

  • Rutgers University-Camden

  • Green Family Foundation

  • Meridian Bank

  • Citizens Bank

  • Mill Spring Foundation

  • John Lazarich Foundation

Global Smarts Mentoring Program Sponsors

  • Connelly Foundation

  • The Ryan Charitable Trust

  • Wells Fargo

  • Mark Stover (Teacher at Jenkintown Middle School)

  • Comcast Foundation

  • Mr. Joseph Berquist

  • Quaker Chemical Foundation

  • Hamilton Family Charitable Trust

  • Henrietta Tower Wurts Memorial

  • Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation

  • Lincoln Financial Group

  • The Fox School of Business at Temple University

  • The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

  • Green Family Foundation

  • Saint Joseph’s University

  • Greater Philadelphia Elementary Education Foundation