Student interest areas

ACT-SO inspires young Black students to expand their horizons and sharpen their skills. From performing and culinary arts to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), students can demonstrate their talents in up to three competition areas. Explore the 33 competitive fields.

ARCHITECTURE: The art and process of designing and building structures.
BIOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY: The science of life or of the origin, structure, reproduction, growth, and development of living organisms collectively.
CHEMISTRY/BIOCHEMISTRY: The science that deals with the composition, structure, and properties of chemical processes and phenomena of substances and the transformation that they undergo.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & COMPUTER SCIENCE: The science that deals with exploring the principles and practices behind programming/coding, artificial intelligence, and the transformation of data through computational methods.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCES: The body of sciences that includes geology, mineralogy, physiography, oceanography, meteorology, climatology, astronomy, speleology, seismology, geography, etc.
ENGINEERING: The use of scientific and mathematical principles to design, test, and build machines, structures, and processes to solve problems.
MATHEMATICS: The science of numbers and their operations, interrelations, combinations, generalizations, and abstractions of spaced configurations and their structure.
MEDICINE AND HEALTH: The study of diseases and health of humans and animals.
PHYSICS: Theories, principles, and laws governing energy and the effect of energy on matter.
DANCE - BALLET: Performing a series of rhythmic and highly technical patterned bodily movements demonstrating your mastery of formal ballet technique, artistry, and musicality.
DANCE - CONTEMPORARY: Performing a series of rhythmic and highly technical patterned bodily movements to contemporary/popular music.
DANCE - MODERN: Dance that is performed through a series of improvisation, expressive gestures, and unconventional movements from your emotion/feelings and
interpretation of your selected music.
DANCE - CULTURAL: Perform rhythmic and patterned body movements to music that reflects the culture or life of the people from a certain tribe, region, or nation.
DRAMATIC ARTS - ACTING: The art of staging or acting plays.
MUSIC INSTRUMENTAL - CLASSICAL: Perform classical music from the Western Hemisphere using a musical
instrument of your choice with or without accompaniment.
MUSIC INSTRUMENTAL - CONTEMPORARY: The art of performing with an instrument of your choice to produce
contemporary music with the tones of the present.
MUSIC VOCAL - CLASSICAL: Perform classical music from the Western Hemisphere using your voice with accompaniment.
MUSIC VOCAL - CONTEMPORARY: The art of performing with the human voice with rhythmic tones or sounds to
produce contemporary music with the tones of the present.
ORATORY: The art of effective written and oral presentation to persuade or inform. (This is not a dramatic presentation.)
SPOKEN WORD: An original poem or prose that brings it to life through a compelling monologue or dialogue that is performed.
MUSIC COMPOSITION: The science or art of arranging music on sheet music by ordering tones or sounds in succession.
ORIGINAL ESSAY: An essay with your own unique perspective, analysis, and interpretation on a pre-selected topic.
PLAYWRITING: A literary composition developed for the stage.
POETRY - WRITTEN: A linguistic composition that explores the imagination and evokes emotion through text.
SHORT STORY: A brief examination of a subject in prose usually expressing a personal view or interpretation of a subject or topic.
DRAWING: The art of representing forms and figures on a surface by means of lines executed by hand or digitally with a pencil or stylus
FILMMAKING: The art and process of making motion pictures.
PAINTING: Art created by applying pigment on a two-dimensional surface with a brush, knife, or hand and/or the manipulation of digital processes with a phone, tablet, or computer.
PHOTOGRAPHY: The process, art, and technique of capturing images with an analog or digital camera.
SCULPTURE: The art of making three-dimensional forms or designs.
CULINARY ARTS: The practice and study of cooking, preparing, and presenting food, blending technique, creativity, and cultural influences.
HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT: Hospitality Management is the field of overseeing guest experiences, service standards, staff development, operations, and financial performance across food, tourism, cultural, and destination-based enterprises. It focuses on delivering high-quality, ethical, and sustainable hospitality experiences while supporting workforce development and community engagement.

STEM

THE PERFORMING ARTS

HUMANITIES

THE VISUAL ARTS

BUSINESS

CULINARY

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