How Laura Stephenson and NAACP Dane County ACT-SO support Black youth
Years ago, when Laura Stephenson, PhD, was a high school student, she stepped onto a stage that would quietly shape the course of her life. She participated in the NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics, better known as ACT-SO, a national program founded in 1978 by author and journalist Vernon Jarrett to recognize and nurture the academic, scientific and artistic excellence of young Black students.
ACT-SO is designed to expand horizons and sharpen skills. From performing, visual and culinary arts to humanities, business, and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), students can compete in up to three of the 32 categories. For Stephenson, the experience was affirming and formative, planting a seed that would resurface years later.
Decades passed. Stephenson built a career, started a family and watched her twin children, Hunter and Walker, approach high school.
“I wanted them to have the same positive ACT-SO experience,” she said.
Like their mother, the twins found ACT-SO rewarding. Beyond the academic competition, the program introduced them to Madison’s Black community in a way their daily school environment did not.
“My kids attended Madison Country Day School where racial diversity was small,” Stephenson explained. “Dane County ACT-SO gave them a chance to meet Black peers and feel part of a broader community.”
That sense of belonging was paired with real-world academic opportunity. Stephenson’s daughter, Hunter, began by completing a biology project for the local competition, testing which cleaning products inhibited the most bacterial growth. One judge, an employee from Promega Corporation, was impressed enough to extend an invitation to conduct cancer cell research in one of Promega’s R&D labs as an intern.
The following year, Stephenson’s daughter returned to ACT-SO with a research paper based on that work. She earned a gold medal locally and advanced to the national competition, where she won a silver medal along with a financial prize. She later competed for a national ACT-SO scholarship and was awarded $10,000 to support her college education.
By the time her children transitioned to college, Stephenson felt a strong pull to give back to the program that had opened so many doors for her family. In 2022, she joined the Dane County ACT-SO committee. She has served ever since and currently holds the role of chair.
“In a time when public education is experiencing funding cutbacks and Black students aren’t getting the positive attention they need, ACT-SO gives students a chance to shine,” she said.
The Dane County ACT-SO program has been active since 2015. Each year, students select an area of interest and are matched with a mentor who helps guide or provides feedback on their work. From August through April, participants research, create and refine projects in preparation for the local competition and participate in monthly community- and skill-building workshops. On average, seven to eight students participate annually.
“We’d love to have more,” Stephenson noted.
The projects themselves reflect both the program’s rigor and its breadth. In recent years, one student explored entomology, partnering with a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student to understand how diet influences the weight and protein content of Black Solider Fly larvae. Her research, which earned a national silver medal (2024), has implications for waste management and developing self-sustaining food systems.
Another student developed a painting under the guidance of a local artist, learning techniques related to color, shadow, line and design. Yet another submitted an original short play, earning a silver medal at nationals (2024). Most participants go on to study these areas of interest in college. Dane County’s 10-year history with ACT-SO includes notable success stories, such as local photographer Amadou Kromah, the area’s first national ACT-SO winner (2017).
The national ACT-SO convention extends far beyond competition. Students attend master classes, listen to accomplished speakers, network with peers from across the country and audition for roles in the awards ceremony.
“There’s a lot of camaraderie, games and social activities,” Stephenson said. “It’s a great time to be with like-minded people and make new connections. Excellence is recognized, and Black students are empowered. ACT-SO helps students see what is possible in a field—and it opens doors to scholarships.”
Stephenson is proud of the work accomplished at the local level and deeply appreciative of the many volunteers who make it possible. She plans to step down as chair in July, intentionally creating space for new leadership, ideas and perspectives.
“Strength is in the enthusiasm volunteers bring to the committee,” she said. “Frances Huntley-Cooper was the first chair of Dane County ACT-SO and established a strong foundation. We want to keep building on the work of her committee and keep the program growing.”
Stephenson praises Huntley-Cooper for her mentorship, continued engagement and stalwart spirit that maintained the program for years and through the pandemic.
Outside of ACT-SO, Stephenson works full time for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cross-College Advising Service (CCAS), a role she has held since fall 2021. She teaches a first-year seminar, helping undeclared and exploring students understand themselves, clarify their goals and access university resources.
She enjoys helping students recognize what is required of them—and what choices are theirs to make.
“I hope to plant the seed for curiosity and exploration,” she said. “I encourage them to try new things, evaluate how it went and decide whether to continue. It’s a framework they’ll use repeatedly throughout their lives.”
Stephenson also volunteers with the Village of Shorewood Hills and at First Congregational Church, extending her commitment to service beyond education.
“Community is important to me—being in a community, showing up for each other,” she said. “I get joy, support and purpose from my community.”
Balancing family, work and volunteer commitments comes naturally to Stephenson because each is grounded in her values. Intentionality and connection guide her decisions, shaping a life that feels integrated.
She credits her parents, both lifelong advocates for social change, with instilling in her the importance of being a positive role model and working toward meaningful impact. She is equally grateful for the support of her husband, Jason.
“Being an active community member is important to us both,” she said. “That connection is vital. We must lift and support one another and keep building connections between people.”
