Education Committee

Meetings:

2nd Monday of the month.

NAACP stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, America's oldest and largest civil rights organization, founded in 1909 to fight racial discrimination and ensure political, educational, social, and economic equality for Black people and other people of color, using legal challenges, advocacy, and activism to achieve justice and civil rights.

Key Aspects

Mission:
To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights and to eliminate race prejudice.

History:
Formed in response to racial violence, notably the 1908 Springfield race riot, by a group of Black and white activists, including W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells, and Mary White Ovington.

Methods:
Historically uses litigation (like the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case), lobbying, public education, and grassroots activism.

Impact:
Played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement and continues to advocate for racial justice, dismantling systemic racism, and protecting the rights of marginalized groups.

Structure:
Has thousands of branches and a large membership, making it a significant force in civil rights advocacy.

Its mission in the 21st century is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination".NAACP initiatives include political lobbying, publicity efforts, and litigation strategies developed by its legal team. [7] The group enlarged its mission in the late 20th century by considering issues such as police misconduct, the status of black foreign refugees, and questions of economic development. [8] Its name, retained in accordance with tradition, uses the once common term colored people, referring to those with some African ancestry. [9] The NAACP started publishing a quarterly magazine, The Crisis, and it had as its editor W.E.B Du Bois for 24 years.

NAACP local branches have also been important. When, in its early years, the national office launched campaigns against The Birth of a Nation, it was the local branches that carried out the boycotts. When the organization fought to expose and outlaw lynching, the branches carried the campaign into hundreds of communities. And while the Legal Defense Fund developed a federal court strategy of legal challenges to segregation, many branches fought discrimination using state laws and local political opportunities, sometimes winning important victories.

NAACP education programs focus on advancing academic, cultural, and leadership skills for Black students through initiatives like ACT-SO (the "Olympics of the Mind"), youth councils, and scholarship opportunities. These programs provide mentorship, STEM training, and advocacy for equitable education policies, including civics education and financial support for higher education.

Key Education Initiatives

ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics): A major year-round program for high school students (grades 9-12) featuring mentorship and competitions in 32 categories, including STEM, humanities, and arts.

Youth & College Division: Supports young activists through Junior Youth Councils(under 13) and Youth Councils (under 25), focusing on leadership development and community mobilization.

Scholarships: The NAACP provides various merit and need-based scholarships, such as the Uplift Scholarship, for undergraduate and graduate students.

Advocacy and Policy: The organization works to ensure equitable education resources, supports culturally relevant curriculum, and promotes civics education in K-12 schools.

NEXTGEN Program: A leadership development program for young adults focused on social justice.

These programs aim to cultivate leadership skills, improve academic outcomes, and provide resources for success in school and the workforce.

Scholarship Opportunity for Seniors

The NAACP - Albany Branch offers a annual scholarship for high school seniors pursuing a career in medicine or in a related medical field.

Scholarship

United Sisters Women’s Educational Scholarship
Due: May 22, 2026

Our Mission is to assure every woman a fair and equal opportunity to obtain her full potential by providing and encouraging supportive resources, which strengthen women’s lives. United Sisters of New York is committed to helping women reach their personal goals. Therefore, each year we will give an award to a woman who is interested in furthering her education and/or professional goals.

Solutions Not Suspensions Coalition

The NYS Conference is a member of the Solutions Not Suspensions Coalition. For more information, click here

Registration

Register to join many organizations, student groups in the coalition advocate on May 11, 2026 in Albany for Solutions Not Suspensions.