Join


Why Join?

The Texas State Junior Classical League is part of the National Junior Classical League, an organization dedicated to promoting the study of Latin, Greek, and the classical world in high schools. The NJCL has over 50,000 members in the US, Canada, and Australia.

TSJCL sponsors a number of academic competitions for students of Latin, Greek, and classical studies. Each of our five areas has a convention in January or February, and the state convention is usually in April or late March. Our competitions include academic contests, as well as artistic, musical, and athletic contests.

TSJCL and NJCL also award a number of college scholarships and offer many other programs, such as the National Latin Honor Society, the JCL Pen Pal program, and the NJCL Creative Writing contest.


Membership Packet

All the compiled information you need to kick off the year can be found here, in the 2023-2024 TSJCL membership packet.


A Guide on Starting & Growing Your JCL Chapter

This packet includes a quick rundown on how to contact TSJCL leaders (officers and state chairs) if you’ve got questions, potential JCL promotional materials, suggestions for activities to do as a JCL club, and more.

Download the comprehensive How to Start & Grow Your JCL Chapter packet here!

Contact the State Chairs

For any questions, contact the state chairs at [email protected]!

Membership Letter

Dear classics students and teachers,

Salvete, omnes! Χαίρετε, πάντες! On behalf of the Texas State Junior Classical League (TSJCL), I am thrilled to invite you to be a part of the Junior Classical League (JCL), one of the largest student organizations in the world! With approximately 1,000 chapters located in almost every state and several countries, our mission is to cultivate a love of Latin, Greek, and the classics. We aim to develop leadership, foster community, promote enthusiasm, encourage competition, inspire dedication, and enrich the total growth of each of our student members.

The TSJCL provides a place where Texas students can be recognized for their passion for classical studies and any achievements related to this passion. Through diverse academic and artistic competitions, students can demonstrate their strength in classical studies at area, state, and national levels, or even showcase other abilities through athletic events that each of these levels offer. The TSJCL also offers colloquia, non-competitive academic sessions where students can broaden their knowledge of the classics through listening to individuals who are highly accomplished within their respective field. Students will additionally find that the TSJCL offers numerous leadership opportunities that can assist those who are truly dedicated in spreading a love of the classics across the great state of Texas. 

A chapter must be affiliated with both the NJCL and TSJCL to be in good standing. Sponsors must also be members of the American Classical League (ACL) and the Texas Classical Association (TCA), which have membership fees of $70 and $35 respectively. NJCL dues are $3.00 per member with no chapter fee, but chapter fees will be incurred if dues are paid after December 1, 2023. Chapters registering after December 1, 2023 but before April 1, 2024 will pay $10, and those registering between April 1, 2024 and July 1, 2024 will pay $20. TSJCL dues are $2.00 per member and $5.00 per chapter, both of which must be paid online or postmarked by January 15, 2024. A chapter may continue to add members to its list after submitting the first list by the given deadline. Schools on alternative schedules have until February 15, 2024, to submit membership lists, but should have their chapter dues paid by the January deadline. The price for state registration will be $40.

Additionally, one graduating senior in good standing from each chapter is given the opportunity to compete for a scholarship worth up to $1,500. Complementing the monthly contests recognizing local chapters, TSJCL also offers the Aristotle and Lauren Dill Memorial Scholarships, each of which cover the cost of National Junior Classical League (NJCL) Convention registration for the student applicant chosen by the benefactor of the award. Furthermore, teachers and sponsors are encouraged to interact with each other to exchange club ideas, teaching methods, and resources. This organization offers every member the chance to meet and connect with others who share a common love of the classics because friendship is not only the motto of our state, but also an important value to the TSJCL.

Once again, I am delighted to welcome you into our TSJCL family! It is our goal to maintain open communication with one another so that we can best advocate for the needs of each community. I hope that you discover and nurture a passion for the classics and take advantage of the opportunities we have to offer for our wonderful circle of students and teachers. 

Please see below for information on joining the Junior Classical League. If you have any questions or concerns, we’d love to hear from you–our contact information can be found at tsjcl.org. The other TSJCL officers, State Chairs, Sponsors, and I are all looking forward to working with you. Cheers to the year ahead! 

Kind regards,


Riya Sahu

2023-2024 TSJCL Secretary