JOTA-JOTI (Jamboree-on-the-Air and Jamboree-on-the-Internet), the world’s largest Scout event taking place online and over the airwaves, is set to engage millions of young people once again this year in promoting friendship and global citizenship education. The event which happens during the weekend of 16-18 October aims to connect Scouts from over 171 countries, enabling them to learn about 21st century skills, communication technology and the values of global citizenship.
Building on the success of last year’s event and the Special Edition of JOTI which was organised in April to help Scouts connect and carry out Scouting from home activities during the global COVID-19 pandemic, JOTA-JOTI 2020 features an expanded programme of activities and live sessions for young people. This year’s theme focuses on the idea of togetherness and belonging, across the learning paths of community, friendship, nature, health and advocacy.
This year’s programme lineup is being co-created with content input from partners including the Wikimedia Foundation, World’s Largest Lesson, WWF, UN Environment and more. Generous support from Alwaleed Philanthropies is also helping to make the 2020 edition of JOTA-JOTI one of the largest and most engaging in the event’s history.
The programme is full of many new and exciting elements that have been added to make this year’s event one of the best yet. While the main language of JOTA-JOTI is English, a series of programme offerings will be available in different languages. The highlights of this year’s programme include:
- JOTA-JOTI Live Show where young hosts will interview Scouts around the world, share good news stories and report live on JOTA-JOTI throughout the weekend.
- Youth Got Talent stage that will showcase the singing, dancing, cooking, and creative talents of young people.
- Scouts for SDGs celebration marking the 5th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals and the contribution Scouts are making towards a global agenda for sustainability.
- International Campfires will livestream Scouting experiences from different parts of the world.
- Dozens of interactive webinars for Scouts focus on global citizenship education featuring special guests and content from key partners in Knowledge Lab.
- Jamboree on the Air programme featuring educational games to inspire and connect Scouts using amateur radio, and encourage young people to use radio in emergency response and humanitarian settings.
- Fun and games such as trivia, quizzes, arts and crafts, DJ dance parties playing great music and ready-made playlists that Scouts can listen to via Spotify and YouTube.
- Scout Gang Shows where Scouts will present theatrical performances via video and live-stream around the themes of inclusion, belonging, unity and togetherness.
- JamPuz as a game that Scouts can play over the Internet or on the airwaves that encourages participants to speak with other participants around the world.
- Celebrations of Scouting milestones and achievements such as the 100th anniversary of the World Scout Jamboree and the 10th anniversary of the Messengers of Peace initiative
Scouts, volunteers and other young people can sign up for this year’s JOTA-JOTI event through the online registration system as a Scout group or as an individual from any location around the world. Those taking part in JOTA-JOTI 2020 will be provided with Safe from Harm information to help them stay safe on the Internet and ensure that everyone will have a positive and inclusive experience in this year’s event.
JOTA-JOTI is one of World Scouting’s longest-running global events dating back more than 60 years to 1958. The online education event has grown over the years and now reaches millions of young people all around the globe during the third weekend of October every year.
