ACT-SO high school competition at COD March 19

College of DuPage will host the annual Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technical and Scientific Olympics on Saturday, March 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Services Center and the Student Resource Center, Room 2000.

Community members are invited to view the Performing Arts (excluding playwriting), Filmmaking and Entrepreneurship categories as they are being judged. In addition, the Visual Arts and Science projects are open to the public after 2 p.m., once the judging of these categories is completed. There is no charge for admission.

ACT-SO, or “Olympics of the Mind,” is a nation-wide program that encourages high academic and cultural achievement among African American high school students. Almost 100 local high school students compete annually in this event, which is sponsored by COD, DuPage NAACP and the DuPage Regional Office of Education.

“The focus of the ACT-SO program is academic enrichment,” said COD Community Relations Specialist Becky Gavillet. “Throughout the year-long program, students work with mentors for guidance as they develop their projects. The local competition allows students to showcase their dedication, hard work and talent.”

Participants in ACT-SO can compete in a maximum of three categories in the areas of sciences, humanities, business and the arts. Gold medal winners selected at the local competition will compete in the national ACT-SO finals in Orlando July 7 to 11.

The March 16 competition will culminate in a DuPage ACT-SO Awards Banquet on March 17 at 3 p.m. at Ashton Place in Willowbrook, where students will receive gold, silver and bronze medals for their efforts, as well as prizes provided by sponsors of and contributors to the local program.

Gavillet noted that additional judges are still needed for instrumental music, music composition, sculpture and painting. For more information, visit www.dupageact-so.org/ or call (630) 942-3872, e-mail gavilletr@cod.edu.