A Record JOTA-JOTI! Digital Meets In Person for an Epic Jamboree

The largest annual Scout event has just wrapped up a record year for participation!

This year, the Jamboree On The Air - Jamboree On The Internet (JOTA-JOTI) saw a record 600,000 registered participants - which means a 40% increase in registration on our platform compared to last year! This includes 7000+ Scout Groups and tens of thousands of individual participants from 149 countries.

Keeping in mind that there are thousands upon thousands more who participate in local JOTA-JOTI activities without registering on our website, this was a big year for global participation!

Over 60+ years, this event has evolved from an opportunity to explore and connect regionally and globally via amateur radio to include modern communication technology, like online chats and video calls, an app and a metaverse.

So, how did it go? Let's see how Scouts participated in JOTA-JOTI offerings this year:

Digital Meets In-Person

Following years of restrictions due to the global pandemic, this year we encouraged Scout Leaders to bring Scouts together in person to take part in digital, radio and in-person activities focused on communication and other skills.

As one Scout Leader from Bosnia and Herzegovina put it: “Such a fun time again this year, this time just the way I always wanted to experience it - in a big room with a lot of Scouts and a bunch of fun activities I got to organise with my friends.”

Young people need these opportunities to connect more than ever, and it was heartwarming to see the connections happen over the 3-day event. Among many activities to choose from, our digital campsite included 100+ JOTA-JOTI activities in popular areas like the Innovation Lab, International Campfire, Celebration Arena, Fun Zone and Faiths and Beliefs Space.

Badges and More Go Digital with ScoutPass

ScoutPass, the first-ever digital wallet for Scouts, had a successful hard launch during this JOTA-JOTI and we couldn't be happier with the results!

Nearly 15,000 ScoutPass wallets were created and Scouts claimed 50,000 boosts or badges throughout the weekend. We are thrilled to see Scouts taking the opportunity to keep track of their Challenge Valley achievements in a new way, and we hope Scouts had fun engaging and boosting each other, too!

It’s not too late - ScoutPass is now available for all Scouts to use and enjoy!

Download ScoutPass Now

JOTA-JOTI Live Shows with Nour and Filipe

This year, we levelled up the production of two engaging JOTA-JOTI Live shows for the opening and closing of events. Hosts Filipe and Nour took viewers on a journey around the world, watching Scouts' talents, introducing our reporters’ interviews with inspiring Scouts, sharing news and more. 

As of writing, the shows garnered 18.2K total views, including 900 live viewers!

Multi-player Universes: Minecraft and the Metaforest

While Minecraft has long been a popular activity during JOTA-JOTI, this was the first year that WOSM offered a dedicated, moderated server for the event. Around 200 joined WOSM’s JOTA-JOTI Minecraft server this weekend and we loved seeing their creativity and enthusiasm!

Further, thanks to our partners at Alwaleed Philanthropies, we were able to offer Scouts the chance to learn about conservation in a unique way: through a multiplayer digital universe called the Metaforest in Decentraland!

Here, Scouts created their avatars and planted over 600 virtual trees in a show of solidarity and action towards a healthier, more sustainable planet. The best part is that, as Scouts, we know they take action for a better world offline, too!

Safe from Harm Online

As always, safety and the well-being of participants is the top priority at all Scouting events. During JOTA-JOTI, we have the added challenge of monitoring digital spaces and helping participants and Leaders learn about online safety. In the month leading up to JOTA-JOTI, 9200 people took our Be Safe Online course for young people, while 930 adult leaders took the online safety course for adults. 

A Safe from Harm team of 24 staff and volunteers ensured that our helpline remained monitored 24/7 throughout JOTA-JOTI and helped monitor and respond to issues in all events with live interactions.

Getting to Know Each Other in JOTI Chats

Our international Chat Rooms were busy this year, with over 3,000 participants sending 100,000 chat messages in themed chat rooms for Meet and Greets, #Scouts4SDGs and the Leaders’ Corner.

Scouts also engaged actively in chats during the JOTA-JOTI Livestreams, introducing themselves, cheering on fellow Scouts during Youth Got Talent, sharing their insights and asking great questions!

Meeting Scouts via Video Chats

For the first time ever, the JOTA-JOTI team took it upon themselves to facilitate live video chats for Scouts from around the world this year! From Friday through Sunday, the team brought together Scouts from more than 60 groups in 29 countries for the opportunity for group meetings via video where they got to see each others’ uniforms and badges, ask each other questions, and learn about Scouting and life in each others’ countries.

Our special thanks go to the adult leaders who helped facilitate engaging meetings for Scouts in Australia, Italy, Estonia, the UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Malta, Sweden, the USA, Angola, the Philippines, the Czech Republic, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa, Portugal, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, Colombia, Japan, Norway, Ireland, Panama, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, India, Benin and Egypt!

WOSM Podcast for Leaders

WOSM shared its first-ever podcase episodes this weekend, with two episodes of “The Leaders’ Backpack” podcast garnering nearly 400 listens in this busy weekend. We look forward to sharing it further and hearing feedback from Scout Leaders to see if there is an appetite for a full season! Start by listening Episode 1 - Flexible Volunteering here and Episode 1 - Helping Each Other Grow here.

Amateur Radio

Amateur radio is the heart of JOTA-JOTI, which originally started as the “Jamboree On The Air” only! Still today, Scout Groups around the world gather during JOTA-JOTI to learn about telecommunications and set up their very own radio station!

While we can’t know the exact number of JOTA-JOTI radio stations around the world, we can share that 1200 Scout Groups registered their radio call sign with us this year. Based on the photos and video clips we saw on social media, Scouts had a lot of fun learning how to create and use radio.

JOTA-JOTI Team

This event wouldn’t be possible without a dedicated JOTA-JOTI team of more than 70 volunteers, plus staff, who help create engaging programmes and activities, keep JOTA-JOTI events safe, deliver webinars, live shows and other activities, and more.

Further, we have to recognise the role of adult volunteers worldwide in facilitating local scouting events. While nearly 80% of this year’s participants were under 19 years old, about 20% were Scout Leaders and other adults in Scouting who make in-person events and activities possible during JOTA-JOTI (and all the time!).

Social Media

We saw tremendous excitement and engagements from Scouts around the world on the JOTA-JOTI social channels - especially Instagram - and World Scouting channels throughout the weekend! Thank you for tagging @jota_joti and @worldscouting and sharing your special moments.

To keep the international scouting spirit alive year-round, be sure to follow @worldscouting on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.