About

About The ACT-SO Program

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. For over forty years the mission of ACT-SO has been to prepare, recognize and reward students who exemplify scholastic and artistic excellence. ACT-SO was founded in 1978 by well-known African-American journalist Vernon Jarrett.

ACT-SO includes 32 competition areas in STEM, humanities, business, and performing, visual and culinary arts. Nearly 300,000 youth from more than 200 communities have participated from the program since its inception.

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.

John Pugh, Chair NAACP Saginaw Branch ACT-SO Program

The NAACP Saginaw Branch has a long and accomplished history of participation in the  ACT-SO program. Local students have earned more than 40 national medal honors since 1988.

Special tribute and acknowledgement are extended to John Pugh, who has served as the Chair and leader of the NAACP Saginaw ACT- SO program for 40 years. Mr. Pugh’s support and commitment to the success of Saginaw area youth is well documented and widely acknowledged. He has spent three decades encouraging, developing and promoting ACT-SO participants. We also acknowledge the many years of dedicated support to the local ACT-SO program by Canika Owen-Robinson, who has served as Co-Chair of ACT-SO for nearly 25 years.

More Information contact: John Pugh at Ypugh914@aol.com or Canika Owen Robinson at cwhatworks@gmail.com.