What Is JOTA? Scouts Around the World Meet over the Airwaves

JOTA stands for Jamboree on the Air.
It is an international activity in which Scouts around the world communicate through amateur radio, as part of the work of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM).
A jamboree is a large gathering of Scouts. JOTA brings that gathering to the airwaves—a worldwide meeting by radio.

Unlike a World Scout Jamboree, where participants gather at one venue, JOTA lets Scouts meet friends overseas from their local meeting places or radio stations.
Exchanging voices across countries and languages can spark an interest in one another’s daily lives and cultures.
The aim goes beyond making distant radio contacts: it is also about building friendship and international understanding through communication.

International Exchange Since Before the Internet

Amateur radio became increasingly popular among Scouts in the first half of the twentieth century, inspiring the idea of bringing people together from different locations.
According to WOSM’s official account, the first JOTA took place in 1958. Radio has been connecting Scouts across borders since a time when international communication was much less accessible than it is today.

As the internet spread, Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) joined the programme. WOSM dates its beginnings to 1996.
Today the combined event is known as JOTA-JOTI. Every year, over the third weekend of October, Scouts take part in exchanges and learning activities using radio and the internet.

Source: WOSM: JOTA-JOTI overview and history

The 2026 Event: October 16–18

The 2026 event takes place on October 16–18, with the theme “A Peaceful and Inclusive World.”
Young people and volunteers from around the world take part, discovering Scouting in other countries and learning new skills, including communication.

The banner in the photo below reads “PRAMUKA / Indonesia Scout Movement,” identifying it as a Scouting activity in Indonesia.
It also shows “SULAWESI UTARA” (North Sulawesi), “MINAHASA UTARA” (North Minahasa), and the dates October 16–18, 2026.
The participants holding a microphone in front of the radio equipment give a sense of the activity of reaching out to the world over the airwaves.
They are operating on HF using an ICOM IC-718 transceiver at 10 W output with a dipole antenna.

Source: WOSM: 2026 dates and theme

An Experience Supported by Amateur Radio Operators

Local amateur radio operators and clubs support JOTA by preparing equipment and helping with radio contacts.
For young people, it is an opportunity to discover the enjoyment of communication by introducing themselves into a microphone and listening to others.
For radio amateurs, it is also a chance to pass on their everyday skills to the next generation.

In this photo, the participants appear to be making a satellite contact using a handheld Yagi antenna and a handheld transceiver.
The antenna has 3 elements for VHF and 7 elements for UHF, and the station’s callsign is YH8RAJ.
Thinking about antenna direction and how radio signals travel could offer a kind of hands-on learning quite different from making a smartphone call.

Actually exchanging words with people around the world can make a distant country on the map feel much closer.
JOTA uses amateur radio as a doorway to both communication technology and international exchange.

Further reading: The Scout Association (UK): Taking part in JOTA-JOTI and support from radio amateurs; Official JOTA-JOTI website