The Akron Unit of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is
pleased to invite all Summit County high school students to participate in the 2022 ACT-SO program.
New this year, middle school and high school students can express their creativity in the Sojourner Truth
Legacy Showcase. Registration deadline for both is Friday, February 4, 2022. Learn more at
www.akronactso.org.
ACT-SO, Afro-Academic Cultural Technological Scientific Olympics, is a nationally acclaimed talent
and academic program where students compete in five major categories: STEM, Humanities,
Performing Arts, Visual Art and Business. Top finishers receive cash prizes, award packages,
scholarships, and more. Summit County students compete in the Akron ACT-SO Competition on April
23-24, 2022, at the Akron Main Library and Akron Civic Theatre. Gold medal winners advance to the
National ACT-SO Competition on July 14-17, 2022, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Registration deadline
is February 4, 2022, orientation is February 5, 2022.
NEW: The Akron ACT-SO program is partnering with the Summit Suffrage Centennial Committee for
the Sojourner Truth Legacy Showcase to celebrate abolitionist and women’s rights advocate Sojourner
Truth. Students will submit their modern interpretation of Truth's "Ain't I A Woman" speech in one of
five ACT-SO categories. Registration is Friday, February 4, 2022, submissions are due February 14,
2022. Entries will be on display during Women's History Month in March, 2022.
Akron ACT-SO is home to four national champions, including Sydney Borges of Uniontown who
received the Bronze Medal for Short Story in 2021. Akron ACT-SO is proud to partner with the Akron
Civic Theatre, Akron-Summit County Public Library, and the Summit Suffrage Centennial Committee
to continue this strong tradition.
Journalist Vernon Jarrett originally presented his “Olympics of the Mind” concept to the DuSable
Museum of African American History in 1977. The NAACP adopted the youth achievement program to
showcase the scholastic and artistic talents of often overlooked African-American students. Today,
ACT-SO encourages students of every background to strive for greatness – a challenge taken by more
than 300,000 participants from 200 plus cities. Notable ACT-SO alumni include: John Singleton, Roy
Hargrove, Lauryn Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Anthony Anderson and
Kanye West.
About the NAACP:
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its
mission is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and
to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. NAACP members throughout the United States and
the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities.