Junior Citizens’ Service Corps

The Junior Citizens' Service Corps (JCSC), the junior branch of the United States Citizens' Service Corps (which was itself a section of the Civilian Defense Corps), was launched on May 15, 1943.

Open to all boys and girls under the age of 16, its goal was to engage the youth of America in the nation's war effort. Although there was no lower age limit, the JCSC handbook suggested that the minimum age to join was 10 years old.

To be eligible for enrolment, the boy or girl must be a member of a group under a qualified adult leader (such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Reserves, Camp Fire Girls, etc). Those who did not belong to such a group could join under a church youth program, a youth recreational program, or a similar local club.

To become a member, 10 hours of service were to have been given in the past year of acceptable war-related work.  The group’s leader then had to certify that the member was fulfilling the "obligations of good citizenship." After that, the member pledged to give one hour a week to war-related work.

War-related work included:

  • Collecting scrap metal and other salvage

  • Selling war bonds

  • Rolling bandages

  • Welcoming new families in war-boom-towns

  • Working as a hospital aide

  • Babysitting for moms working in the factory

  • Cutting trees in the forest, and much else besides.

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The Junior Citizens Service Corps (JCSC) ended in June 1945 when the Office of Civilian Defense was disbanded.

Illustration of young people at a service center, with a man and woman behind a counter, and a young girl and boy engaging with staff. The text indicates it is related to the United States Junior Citizens Service Corps.