The Junior American Citizens Committee (JAC) helps organize groups of students in forming JAC Clubs. The purpose of these clubs is to educate students about American government and history, so that they appreciate our great country and learn about becoming good American citizens. First formed in 1902, the JAC Clubs promote patriotism and love of country through activities, contests, and community service.
Children from pre-school through 12th grade are eligible for JAC membership. They can join through public, private, and homeschool groups, or through clubs such as C.A.R., scouts, 4-H, church youth groups, and community service organizations. Sponsored by a DAR chapter, they can meet daily, once a year, or somewhere in between. Find helpful documents including a JAC Handbook, flyers, and certificates on the National JAC webpage under JAC Toolkit.
To promote its goals, JAC conducts annual contests in art, creative expression, and community service projects. In the Art Contest, the categories are banner, poster, stamp, digital, and photographic essay. The banner may be entered by groups of three to five. The Creative Expression Contest, including poetry and short story, are for individuals only. The Community Service Project is for groups in pre-school or kindergarten and groups or individuals in higher grades. The Community Service Project does not have to fit the theme to be entered in the contest.
The JAC Contest is open to all ages, pre-school through 12th grade, in schools, homeschool or clubs. A child does not have to be in a JAC Club to enter. Children and grandchildren of DAR members are welcome to enter. Entries are judged in each grade on three levels: gifted, general, and special needs. This gives all children a chance to be a winner.
The entry must follow an annual theme. The 2022-2023 theme is: “The 200th Anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail: Moving the Stars and Stripes Westward.” Find a resource list for this theme on the JAC website under JAC Toolkit. A chapter should select a winner in each category, grade, and level, to be submitted to the State JAC Chair by January 1, 2023. See the National JAC Committee web page for the JAC Contest Guidelines and rules.
Students may enter all categories for which they are eligible but may only win in one. Chapter winners may be sent to the state chair via email, CD, thumb drive, and/or 3x5, 4x6, or 5x7 photographs, for judging. Do not submit originals. State winners will be forwarded to the division for judging, and finally, division winners will be forwarded to the National Vice Chairs of Art, Creative Expression, or Community Service Project for national judging. See JAC Contest Guidelines.
Chapters may also be eligible for the JAC Publicity Contest. Send any articles or pictures printed in a newspaper (school, community, business, etc.), bulletin (church, club, office, etc.), magazine, or circular to the JAC Publicity Vice Chair. Do not cut the article. Send the entire printed page on which the article and/or pictures appear, including the name of the source (i.e., bulletin, newspaper, newsletter.) Chapters with the highest number of printed inches will receive awards. Mail publicity postmarked no later than March 15, to jac.publicity@nsdar.org . All articles and photographs will be placed in a scrapbook to be presented to the President General.
Chapters should contact schools and clubs before the school year begins. One-on-one contact works best. Distribute forms JAC-1009(contest instructions), JAC-1010 (contest rules), and JAC-1007 (entry forms) found on the National DAR Website under Forms & Publications, Standing Committees, Junior American Citizens or under the NIP, Standing Committees, Junior American Citizens. Include your chapter contact information and deadline. More details about JAC and its contests are available at the National DAR website under Committees/ Junior American Citizens and the National Information Packet (NIP.)
Contact State Chair Linda Dinsmore for more information.