What is ACT-SO?
Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics
The NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students.
ACT-SO includes 32 competitions in STEM, humanities, business, and performing, visual and culinary arts. Almost 300,000 young people have participated from the program since its inception.
For over forty years the mission of ACT-SO has been to prepare, recognize and reward youth of African descent who exemplify scholastic and artistic excellence.
Read a message from Larry Brown Jr, NAACP ACT-SO National Director.
ACT-SO Mission
The goals of ACT-SO are:
- To mobilize the adult community for the promotion of academic and artistic excellence.
- To recognize creative talent and academic achievement.
- To provide and assist students with the necessary skills to establish goals and acquire the confidence and training to make a successful contribution to society.
Getting Started
ACT-SO provides a forum through which youth of African descent demonstrate academic, artistic and scientific prowess and expertise, thereby gaining the same recognition often only reserved for entertainers and athletes.
ACT-SO is rooted in the firm conviction that all students can succeed and compete at the same or superior levels as their counterparts in classrooms, boardrooms and laboratories across this nation and abroad.
ACT-SO is a year-long youth achievement program that begins in August of each year in local communities nationwide. In more than 200 local communities throughout the U.S., ACT-SO adult volunteers recruit students and mentors. Students work with mentors from August to April to develop their projects and performances for the local competition.
Local ACT-SO Activities
- August: Local programs kick-off annual ACT-SO activities
- September-March: Local programs conduct mentoring and scholastic enrichment activities
- April: Local programs host ACT-SO competitions
Once local competitions are held, the gold medalists (those with scores between 95-100 in their category) are invited to compete on a national level. The National Competition and Ceremonies, held every July in conjunction with the NAACP National Convention, is the ACT-SO culminating event.
National ACT-SO Competition
- April-July: Students continue their local mentorship and enrichment programs to prepare for the National Competition.
- July: Annual activities culminate with the National Competition and Ceremonies
Sponsorship
Levels
Table at Awards Banquet
etc…
Volunteers
PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES
ACT-SO Is A Community-Based Program That Provides Multiple Opportunities For Involvement. Community Members May Participate As: Chairpersons, Mentors, Sponsors, Organizers, Competitors, Benefactors, Educational Partners, Etc.. The Program Receives Support From Schools, Local Businesses, Community Organizations, Churches, Foundations, Major Corporations And Individuals. For More Detailed Criteria And Information About How To Get Involved, Please Contact Our Local ACT-SO Office.
Categories
Students Can Select Up To 3 Competitions From A Total Of 29 Offerings. The 32 ACT-SO Competitions Include:
STEM
Architecture
Biology/Microbiology
Chemistry/Biochemistry
Computer Science
Earth and Space Sciences
Engineering
Mathematics
Medicine and Health
Physics
Performing Arts
Dance – Ballet
Dance – Contemporary
Dance – Modern
Dance – Traditional
Dramatics
Music Instrumental – Classical
Music Instrumental – Contemporary
Music Vocal – Classical
Music Vocal – Contemporary
Oratory
Poetry – performance
Humanities
Music Composition
Original Essay
Playwriting
Poetry – written
Short Story
Visual Arts
Drawing
Filmmaking
Painting
Photography
Sculpture
Business
Entrepreneurship
Culinary
Culinary Arts
Local Competition Requirements
Eligibility of each contestant
- Be of African decent
- Be enrolled in grades 9-12
- Be a citizen or a legal resident of the United States
- Be an amateur (having not received wages for professional services) in any category of competition
Requirements
- A contestant may enter up to three (3) categories.
- Each contestant must submit one project per category.
- NO GROUP PROJECTS ARE ACCEPTED.
national competition requirements
NOTE: Each local ACT-SO program may only submit one entry per category at the National Competition.
- Each contestant is responsible for the transportation and storage of their projects (all projects should be easily transportable.)
- Each contestant must conform to the space requirements as dictated by each category
All National contestants must submit to their local NAACP ACT-SO the following items:
- A typed national application
- A 1 or 2 page autobiography
- A parent’s consent form
- A medical release form
- A media release form
- A photograph with name of the contestant and branch printed on the back (no larger than 5″x7″)
- A verification form for science categories
- Six copies of student’s science or humanities entries
PATENT AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
ACT-SO participants may want to consider applying for a patent or copyright to protect their work (i.e. science, humanities).
You may contact the Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Patent Office, at:
(800) 786-9199 for Patent information
or the Library of Congress at (202) 707-3000 for copyright information.
STEM - Science Technology Engineering mathematics
Architecture
Biology/Microbiology
Chemistry/Biochemistry
Computer Science
Earth And Space Sciences
Engineering
Mathematics
Medicine And Health
Physics
Requirements:
1. Only one (1) project can be entered per competitive area.
2. Six (6) copies of a typed 8-½ inch by 11 inch, double-spaced scientific paper must accompany the project to be submitted.
a. The content of the paper, which should not exceed five (5) pages, should include:
1. a short introduction describing the background and purpose of the work
2. an experimental section including both methods and results,
3. a concluding section discussing the results and their implications.
b. Tables, graphs, charts, maps, photographs, raw statistical data, etc. should be included whenever possible.
c. They must also include references used and acknowledgments of any individuals who served as direct academic resources.
d. The student’s name, page number and unit name and number must be on the top of each page.
3. The contestant is to make an oral presentation explaining his or her project.
a. The oral presentation should not exceed five (5) minutes.
b. This time limit does not include the time required for judges’ questions and contestant’s responses.
4. Contestants are responsible for providing their own equipment.
5. The NAACP ACT-SO Program will provide electrical power and display tables if requested in a timely manner.
6. Contestants must submit a STEM Verification Form from a qualified scientist or science teacher
a. Qualified scientist or science teacher must have an earned professional degree or license.
b. This person can also serve as a coach, working closely with the student during the course of the project to ensure the accuracy of the student’s research and qualifications for entry.
7. If a contestant qualifies for Nationals:
a. Student must submit Six (6) copies of the supporting documents
b. Student must also submit six(6) copies of the paper
c. All copies must be submitted to the ACT-SO Chairman no later then two(2) weeks after the local competition ends.
d. ACT-SO Chairman will use these materials to prepare a packet to be sent to national.
S.T.E.M. Projects will be judged by the following criteria:
• Quality of Research
Scientific Approach/Method (20 pts.).
Validity of Information (10 pts.)
Validity of Conclusion(s) (10 pts.)
• Depth of Understanding / Oral Presentation
Knowledge Gained and Creativity (20 pts.)
Thoroughness & Individual Work (20 pts.)
• Written Report (10 pts)
• Visual Presentation (10 pts)
ACT-SO SAFETY PROCEDURES
In order to ensure a safe environment for our contestants, we request that you carefully review the NAACP ACT-SO Safety Procedures listed below.
The NAACP ACT-SO Program prohibits the use of the following materials for display:
• Living organisms (ex: plants, animals, and microbes)
• Dried plant materials • Taxidermy specimens or parts
• Human or animal foods
• Human/animal parts or bodily fluids (e.g. blood, urine. Note: dried animal bones, histological dry mount sections, wet mount tissue slides, teeth, hair, and nails are acceptable)
• Soil or waste samples
• Preserved vertebrate or invertebrate animals (inclusive of embryos)
• Laboratory chemicals, including water
• Dry ice or other sublimating solids (i.e. solids which vaporize to a gas without passing through a liquid phase
• Poisons, drugs, controlled substance, hazardous substances or devices (i.e. firearms, ammunition, or reloading devices)
• Sharp items (syringes, needles, or pipettes)
• Flames or highly flammable display materials which vaporize to a gas without passing through a liquid phase
• Batteries with open top cells Contestants are advised to use photographs and other visuals for presentation.
Due to the potential for serious harm to the contestants and others, any project that displays any of the above items at the National ACT-SO Competition will be disqualified.
SCIENCE PAPERS SHOULD BE IN THIS FORMAT:
humanities
Short Story
A brief examination of a subject in prose usually expressing a personal view or interpretation of a subject or topic.
Music Composition
The science or art of arranging music by ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination or in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity.
Playwriting
A literary composition developed for the stage.
Poetry (Written)
A composition, marked by language chosen for its sound, beauty and evocative power.
Original Essay
A brief examination of a subject in prose usually expressing a personal view or interpretation of a subject or topic.
Music Composition
Music Composition Guidelines
The science or art of arranging music by ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination or in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity
Requirements:
1. Only one (1) original notarized composition with six (6) copies of the notarized original must be submitted two (2) weeks prior to date of the Buffalo ACT-SO Annual competition.
2. The top of each page must include the contestant’s name, page number and unit name (Buffalo New York) and unit number (######).
3. The composition must be neatly and precisely written on music manuscript paper, in such a manner that any trained musician could perform the composition. Before submission, all electronically generated manuscripts (Finale, Sibelius, etc.) must be proofread to ensure proper Quantization in the final print generated composition.
4. The contestant must provide a CD recording of the composition and be prepared to perform or have the composition performed on site. Competitors will not perform their compositions at the competition.
5. The composition must not exceed five (5) minutes.
Contestants Will Be Judged By The Following Criteria:
• Creative sense (10 pts)
• Form (20 pts)
• Harmonic and rhythmic interest (20 pts)
• Strength of melodic line (20 pts)
• Use of theory (20 pts)
• Quality of transcript (10 pts)
NOTE: For students that qualify for the National Competition
The deadline for submission of national registration documents is the second Saturday of May. No materials or copies will be accepted after that time or at the National Competition.
Contact ACT-SO Chairman for further information