On October 16 through 18, some of the busiest operators on the amateur bands will not be seasoned DXers — they will be kids. Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), the largest annual Scouting event in the world, returns for its 2026 run, linking millions of Scouts and Guides across more than 150 countries by radio and the internet (as JOTI, the Jamboree on the Internet).
The World Organization of the Scout Movement schedules JOTA for the third full weekend of October each year, and this year’s theme is “A Peaceful and Inclusive World.” For many participants, JOTA is a first taste of wireless technology — and for many hams, it is one of the most rewarding weekends of the year.
In the United States, the K2BSA Amateur Radio Association is once again rallying volunteers, urging hams to reach out to local Scout units, set up a station at a camporee, or invite a troop into their shack. ARRL offers resources for volunteers working with Scouts, including a flyer promoting radio communications for Scouts and its Radio and Wireless Technology Patch Program.
One example of how the weekend comes together comes from California, where Sal Mancuso, W6SAL, is organizing a JOTA operation for the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of Scouting America, which serves 10,000 youth across four counties. Mancuso secured the special event call sign K6S and plans a public demonstration station on October 17 staffed by about seven licensed operators ranging from Technician to Extra class, running HF, VHF, and UHF simultaneously — with Scouts hands-on at the mic and keyboard. Planned HF SSB frequencies include 7.090, 14.290, 18.140, and 28.990 MHz, with FT8 in the mix and packet possible.
Similar events are happening nationwide. The San Antonio Radio Club will run a free JOTA station on October 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at McGimsey Scout Park, and Scouts in Phoenix can visit Heard Scout Pueblo on October 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with lunch provided. Official registration is open on the JOTA-JOTI web platform, and full planning resources are available at jotajoti.info.
If you have never worked a JOTA weekend, this is the year to change that. Call your local council, dust off a station that can handle a crowd, and get ready: on the air, you will meet the next generation of amateur radio — one QSO at a time.