NAACP ACT-SO National Competition July 14, 2013 Collier County NAACP Brings Home a Silver Medal

Naples, FL, July 19, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The NAACP's Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) is a year-long 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.

The NAACP held its national ACT-SO competition July 11-14, 2013 in Orlando, FL. NAACP Collier County held its local competition at the Boys and Girls Club of Collier County on April 13, 2013, in which the following six students qualified and competed in the national competition.

National Competitors and Local Gold Medalist Winners:
Irvica Charles – 18 years old Performing Arts – Dance
Therlking Dervil – 16 years old Humanities – Music Composition
Thanise Marc – 16 years old Performing Arts – Dramatics
Nerline Nerlien – 18 years old Performing Arts – Music Instrumental/Classical
Rachael Pence – 15 years old Performing Arts – Music Vocal/Contemporary

*Alisha Perkins – 17 years old Humanities - Poetry
Collier County’s Alisha Perkins brought home the Silver Gold Medal reciting an original poem, “Take Me As I Am,” competing against over 40 students. With over 700 students competing in the various categories, Collier County is proud of all their local competitors who executed outstanding performances.

The NAACP Collier County Branch gives special appreciation and thanks to the Boys and Girls Club of Collier County. Their support and collaboration made it possible for us to send six talented students to nationals. They continue to look forward to support from the business community and are working to increase their participation in the “STEM” categories of the competition in the upcoming year.