Altadena NAACP ACT-SO “The Olympics of the Mind” Goes to Florida with the GOLD

Cross-post from Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley News Journal

Talented young people from a wide variety of disciplines were recognized as local winners in the 2013 Altadena NAACP ACT-SO Awards Celebration held Sunday, April 28, 2013. The celebration draws interest from the local community and surrounding areas,San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles.

The Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics of the Mind (ACT-SO) is a National Youth Initiative of the NAACP. Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded during the Altadena NAACP's 16th Anniversary Celebration of ACT-SO. ACT-SO alumna, Portia Gorman (formerly Mitchell) was the lively and entertaining Mistress of Ceremonies for the afternoon.

The success of ACT-SO is due largely to the dedication of the ACT-SO local sponsors, volunteers, mentors, and coaches to promote academic and artistic excellence. Through this collaborative effort, participating high school students develop the confidence and skills needed to excel in school and life. The students competed in 15 of the 27 categories which comprise the ACT-SO program.

For the first time in Altadena ACT-SO's history the chapter will send a gold medalist in Microbiology and in Calculus to the National competition in Florida. Receiving a gold medal at the local level, qualify the participants to compete in the national finals held each summer in conjunction with the NAACP National Convention in cities throughout the country. This year's Gold medalists by category are: Chelsea Johnson – Vocal Contemporary; Alexandra Levatter - Instrumental Classical; Jamael Dean - Instrumental Contemporary; Jean-Paul Vercher - Music Composition and Poetry; Danica Brown - Dance; Olivia Rivera - Original Essay; Omar Wiseman – Painting; Alana Jackson - Microbiology; Dondei Dean - Calculus.

Several Silver and Bronze medals were awarded to the following: Dance:  Ilana Isreal - silver, Joniece Boykin - silver; Vocal:  Olivia Rivera - silver, Jadzia Pittman - silver, Jade Bryant - bronze, Benjamin Patterson - bronze, Ashley Hernandez - bronze; Instrumental Classical:   Daniel-Egwaurube - silver; Instrumental Contemporary:  Daniel-Egwaurube - silver, Haisem Khalfani - silver; Playwriting:  Chelsea Johnson - bronze; Painting and Drawing: Dondei Dean - silver; Drama:  Benjamin Patterson - bronze; Oratory:  Jadzia Pittman - bronze.

For more information and how you may get involved: Please call Wilberta Richardson, Chairperson at (626)222-2189, or email to Wil10low@aol.com

Stefanie Brown Charts a New Course

Watch Youth & College alumnae and former Director, Stefanie Brown, explain how she transferred her leadership skills, honed at the NAACP, into entrepreneurship.

The ACT-SO Road to Orlando

Local competitions are complete and medalists are preparing for the next and final round of ACT-SO 2013. Enjoy our first installment of The ACT-SO Road to Orlando--a social media roundup of ACT-SO mentions.

American Money: Why Summer Jobs Matter

Cross-Post from BET

By Dedrick Muhammad

A summer job can begin securing youth’s and young adult’s financial futures.

As the end of the school year looms, many youth and young adults (and probably most parents) are pondering the question, “What will I do (with my child) this summer?” Popular options include vacationing and spending time with friends. But, youth and young adults should also use the summer to begin securing their financial future.

Whether it’s a summer job, internship and/or volunteering, encouraging youth to commit to a project that develops and strengthens their workplace skills and competencies is more important than ever. The immediate gains – money and a sense of responsibility –  are important; but even more crucial are the long-term economic benefits of establishing a work pattern between the ages of 16-24.

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