Dear Friends,

For 2025's last edition of WorldBoston Recommends, we keep it local and festive, with some fun suggestions for in-person seasonal activities, followed by our usual listings of opportunities and recent event recordings.

We will be back in 2026 with our regular WorldBoston Recommends highlighting high-quality programming, special opportunities, and event recordings centered on international relations, whether our own, from other World Affairs Councils, or other excellent venues.

Best regards,

Your Friends at WorldBoston

Become A WorldBoston Sponsor

Boston's Holiday Lights Trail

For visitors and residents alike, it’s time to explore Boston’s beautiful array of festively festooned landmarks and neighborhoods. And in Boston, these exquisite evening illuminations are not just scattered about; they provide wayfinding that will bring you to some of the city’s most iconic areas for basking in holiday lights.

SnowPort

Seaport is dressed in its wintry best, with holiday shopping, rooftop igloos, outdoor fun & games, plus a few festive surprises, Seaport style. Discover everything there is to Snowport this season.

SOWA Winter Festival

The SoWa Winter Festival has assembled over 100 of the region’s best makers, artists, designers and specialty food vendors together under one roof. Browse an extensive selection of beautiful goods, sip delicious cocktails, and munch on fantastic bites, or head up to the 2nd floor mezzanine to enjoy live music and an array of specialty cocktails!

First Night 2026

December 31st, 2025

Since 1976, Boston’s First Night® has been a New Year’s Eve celebration of artistic performances and the beginning of a new year. In keeping with this fantastic Boston tradition, the First Night celebration will open 2026 with an array of performances.

Are YOU our NEXT Green Room Scholar?

Named for the proverbial “green room” where people wait before going on stage, the new Green Room Scholars initiative is part of WorldBoston's growing NextGen programming, an essential element of our effort to fulfill and expand our mission of “fostering international engagement and global cooperation.”

For each regular WorldBoston event, the selected Green Room Scholar will help greet and orient the speaker, serving as part of the WorldBoston event team.

What benefits do Green Room Scholars receive?

Networking
Participation in a well-tuned, professional event team
Blogging with byline
Recognition in WorldBoston social media
Connecting with one of WorldBoston's outstanding speakers, who are leading scholars and practitioners in global affairs

Who is eligible to be a Green Room Scholar?

Students at universities that are currently sponsoring WorldBoston!

For further information contact Director of Global Engagement Programs and Operations Harrison Zeiberg at hzeiberg@worldboston.org

LEARN MORE

Writing Opportunities

Are you interested in writing about international affairs? Below are opportunities for you to submit your pieces to publications nationwide!

The Journal of Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs: This quarterly journal is accepting submissions of features and essays, as well as online exclusive submissions to appear on their website on a rolling basis. Submit your piece here.
Realist Review Article Submission: This policy publication is accepting submissions from anyone interested in writing a commentary or analysis piece that expresses a perspective on policies or developments in international affairs and diplomacy. Submit your work here.
AFSA’s National High School Essay Contest: This contest encourages young people to think critically about how U.S. diplomats utilize policy expertise, negotiation skills, and crosscultural understanding to shape a more peaceful and interconnected world. The 2025-2026 topic is The Fragile Front Line: U.S. Diplomacy and the Future of Soft Power. This contest is open to high school students in grades 9-12. Learn more here.