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.

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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.