FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions? Explore our FAQs or reach out to us.
MEMBERSHIP FAQS
Please visit our Individual Memberships page or contact us directly at 215-561-4700, ext. 200.
Your membership and its benefits commence upon receipt of your contribution. Anticipate a membership welcome packet within 2 weeks of payment. Please note that we do not issue physical membership cards; your membership information is securely stored in our database and verified by our Membership staff when you register for programs at the member price.
The number of guests you can register at the member rate is dependent on your membership level:
- Individual: All guests charged at the general public price.
- Dual: One guest at the member price, additional guests at the general public price.
- Dual Plus: Two guests at the member price, additional guests at the general public price.
- Ambassador & up: For details, consult your membership materials, call 215-561-4700 ext. 221, or visit our Membership page.
If you are unsure of your membership level, please call 215-561-4700, ext. 221.
Membership is valid for one full calendar year (12 months). You will receive a mailed reminder to renew your membership approximately a month before it expires.
Yes, your membership dues directly support our Youth Programming, therefore, all membership contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Specific tax information is included in your membership welcome packet.
Young Friends Membership is a specially discounted membership level for young professionals in their 20s and 30s. For additional questions, please contact Stefanie Yeung, Membership Manager, at syeung@wacphila.org.
PUBLIC PROGRAMMING FAQS
Yes, World Affairs can only guarantee seats for reservations made in advance, including receipt of lecture passes with reservations. Reservations are honored on a first-come, first-served basis.
Check the event details on the website for any special pricing. If available, it’s exclusively for full-time students. University students are required to show valid student ID. High school students must contact the Council’s Education staff at 215-561-4700 ext. 228 for reservations.
Cash, checks, and all major credit cards are accepted. For mail registration, send your payment and registration form to World Affairs at least three business days before the event to secure your reservation.
To gain entry to public programs at World Affairs’ main venue at One Penn Center, you can redeem your electronic lecture passes. Members get one to four passes annually, depending on their membership level. Ready to use your pass? Just give Membership a ring at 215-561-4700, ext. 221.
Online registrations receive online confirmations. Mail registrations do not receive confirmations. Events usually don’t have physical tickets. Instead, grab your name tag at the event’s registration, and that’s your ticket in.
If you need to cancel and want a refund, make sure to do it at least three business days before the program. Call World Affairs at 215-561-4700 ext. 221 to let them know if you can’t make it.
Now, here’s the deal: You can get a refund for up to two events per year for each attendee. If you exceed that, World Affairs will offer credit, valid for one year from its issue date, ready to be used for a future program.
Unless designated otherwise, the dress code is business casual.
Our events usually take place at venues easily reachable by public transportation. For maps and trip planning, check out SEPTA.
Our home venue is at One Penn Center, 1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 1055, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
The nearest parking garage to World Affairs’ main venue is the iParkIt Love Park Garage. Unfortunately, no discount vouchers are available for this garage.
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMING FAQS
Please fill out our volunteer application.
When a specific Dinner Hosting date arises, you’ll receive a survey to gather more information. This survey is designed to help us understand you better, streamlining the process of pairing you with groups of international visitors.
Participating in each Hospitality Dinner requires a commitment of 4-8 hours, involving communication, planning, shopping, learning about your visitors, transportation, the meal, and clean-up. We offer 12-25 opportunities for dinner hosting annually and aim to provide 1-2 weeks’ advance notice whenever possible. The group size ranges from 1-4, depending on the visitors’ language abilities and your hosting capacity.
No problem! We strive to match hosts and guests based on language, interests, and expertise. If an international visitor requires it, we will assign an interpreter to accompany them.
It typically takes 1-3 business days to sort through all the host survey responses.
World Affairs members are given priority for the initial placement, and we then fulfill all other volunteer requests on a first-come, first-served basis. On average, we provide 12-25 hosting opportunities each year.
The dinner is meant to be a relaxed experience, and the meal doesn’t have to be extravagant. Any dietary restrictions, smoking, or pet concerns will be clearly communicated in advance. A confirmation from our team will be sent one week to four days before the dinner. If you don’t receive a call the day before the hospitality, feel free to reach out to Anna Schneider, Director of IVLP and Professional Exchanges, directly at 267-546-7335 or anna.schneider@cdiphila.org.
We’ll confirm all the details with you at least 4 days before the scheduled dinner. We’ll make an effort to do so sooner if possible, but there are instances where we may not receive dietary restrictions until our international guests arrive in America.
The ideal duration for Dinner/Home Hospitality is entirely up to your discretion, but it’s recommended to plan for about two hours. Depending on the flow of conversation, it may extend or shorten. Feel free to set a comfortable limit and politely indicate when it’s time to conclude the gathering.
Absolutely! Our international visitors are eager to connect with Americans during their stay—building both personal friendships and professional contacts. After spending three weeks in hotels, having dinner with you, your kids, pets, and friends offers them a refreshing break. Whether it’s cocktails at your favorite restaurant, a leisurely stroll around City Hall or your garden, followed by dinner—feel free to design your evening as you wish.
As many international visitors may have recently arrived in the U.S. and might not be comfortable with public transportation, we would greatly appreciate it if you could personally meet them at their hotel and ensure their return at the end of the evening. Our preference is for hosts to handle the pick-up and drop-off directly. If necessary, we can cover regional rail or public transportation costs. Hosts also have the option to arrange and pay for a taxi, Lyft, or Uber, and our Program Officer will coordinate with you directly to align with the visitors’ needs. Unfortunately, we are unable to cover the costs of taxi, Lyft, or Uber transportation.
We encourage you to follow up with Council Staff by phone or email. Speak freely about your experience and give us any thoughts and suggestions that would enhance future Home Hospitalities. If you’ve permitted the sharing of your contact information in your host survey, your international guests may contact you in the future. Don’t forget to ask your international guests for their contact information for future follow-ups.
YOUTH PROGRAMMING FAQS
Middle school students can directly enroll in United Nations Summer Camp. High school students can directly enroll in Citizen Diplomat Academy and Summer Global Leadership Seminar.
Participation in Model Senate and Global Economic Forum is limited to member high schools. iThrive Sims Programming may be scheduled upon request. Become a high school member today!
Middle school administrations are required to annually register their school and students for Jr. Model United Nations.
All live sessions and communications for Citizen Diplomat Academy and Classroom to Classroom are entirely in English. Due to the highly interactive nature of this program, a high level of English language proficiency and comprehension is necessary.
Students will be asked about English language proficiency as a part of the registration process. We encourage students with an IELTS score of 6 or higher or a CEFR level of B2 or higher to apply.
Students will need a broadband internet connection. Citizen Diplomat Academy and Classroom to Classroom primarily use a live video application called Zoom. Students can use devices like smartphones, laptops, or tablets to connect to the live sessions.
Classroom to Classroom exchanges for the 2023-2024 academic year are exclusively open to member high schools through invitation only. To express interest for the 2024-2025 school year, schools are requested to get in touch with Rachel Warner at rwarner@wacphila.org.
World Affairs can provide either a school directory with potential international partner classrooms, or we can connect you directly to an international partner classroom. For World Affairs member schools that already have a partner school in mind, we invite you to reach out and determine your partner’s interest in a Classroom to Classroom virtual exchange.
For schools that have future in-person exchanges or travel planned, we offer an “expansion pack” of materials centered around in-person travel.
World Affairs can provide you with a one-page overview of Classroom to Classroom to send to your partner to gather interest. If you have a future in-person student exchange or educational travel planned for your classroom, and you would like to use Classroom to Classroom as a precursor or add-on, we offer an “expansion pack” of materials which incorporates the in-person student exchange into the Classroom to Classroom experience.
TRAVEL FAQS
If you’re into educational travel, you’re more than welcome. While we encourage joining the World Affairs Councils of America system, it’s not a requirement.
Typically, our land tours cap at 25 travelers. As for cruises, they’re shared with similar organizations and institutions, hosting a maximum of 200 passengers.
For most of our programs, we’re happy to have travelers aged 15 and up. There’s no upper age limit, but everyone joining should be in good health, physically fit, and ready to stay active. On average, our travelers for most programs are around 65 years old.
Find the “What to Expect” section in our brochures for trip-specific details on the rigors of individual trips. Confirmed participants will receive additional, detailed information, including health and medical recommendations, in informational mailings.