ACT-SO — the NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Culture, Technological and Scientific Olympics — is an achievement program open to high school students of African American descent who are in Grades 9 to 12.

The Charles County branch of the NAACP is holding the local competition on Saturday, April 27, in the BI Building on the La Plata campus of the College of Southern Maryland. The event starts at 10 a.m. and registration will available onsite. Students who wish to compete must be at CSM by 1 p.m. on the day of the competition.

With more than 30 fields in six categories, there is an ACT-SO competitive area for almost every interest. Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), performing arts, humanities, visual arts, business and culinary arts are the categories with various fields nested in each.

Categories and fields

There are more than 30 competitive fields among the interest areas. From performing and culinary arts to STEM, students can demonstrate their prowess in up to three competition areas out of the more than 30 fields represented. Students must be U.S. citizens and amateurs to take part in ACT-SO. Click here to learn more about what each field entails.

• STEM — Interest areas include architecture, biology/microbiology, chemistry/biochemistry, computer science and coding, Earth and space sciences, engineering, mathematics, medicine and health, physics and sustainable building design.
• Performing arts — Dance including separate fields for ballet, contemporary, modern and traditional, acting, instrumental music in separate fields of classical and contemporary, vocal music in separate fields of contemporary and classical, oratory and poetry performance.
• Humanities — Music composition, original essay, playwriting, written poetry and short story.
• Visual arts — Drawing, filmmaking, painting, photography and sculpture.
• Business — Entrepreneurship and hospitality management.
• Culinary arts.

Students advancing to the national contest will take part in local mentorships and enrichment programs to prepare. To learn more about the local ACT-SO program or to ask questions of the organizers, visit https://charlescountynaacp.org/act-so. At the site, interested students will find a link to the application and a document detailing the categories and competition.

Designed to recruit, stimulate and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among Black high school students, ACT-SO is a yearlong program culminating in a national competition held in July in conjunction with the NAACP National Convention.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,765 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).