After a day full of exciting and exhilarating competition that focused on the arts, humanities, and sciences, on Saturday, Chattanooga ACT-SO was handed out over a dozen medals to local Academic Olympians, including five worthy competitors who were awarded gold medals and will now travel to the 37th annual NAACP National ACT-SO Competition, which will be held in Philadelphia, from July 9-12, as the official representatives of the greater Chattanooga community. More than 1,000 student olympians are expected to compete in Philadelphia this year.
The NAACP's Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics 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 26 categories of competition in the sciences, humanities, business, and performing and visual arts.
More than 260,000 young people have participated from the program since its inception. Since 2010, Chattanooga ACT-SO has been awarded five medals during national competition.
Officials said, "Special commendation goes to the tireless efforts of Ms. Neshawn Calloway (ACT-SO Chairperson), Mr. Vincent Phipps, and our superb ACT-SO committee."