Why be Jambee in Jambville?

Being a Jambee means taking a break from your daily routine to live a unique experience serving a scout project with scouts and guides from other countries. It’s a lifetime experience of intercultural meetings and discoveries that will leave you with new friends and memories.

Jambees contribute to and take part in the day-to-day running of Jambville, which is a Scout Centre of Excellence for Nature, Environment and Sustainability (SCENES), welcoming Scouts and Guides and other groups throughout the year. To be a Jambee is to be part of an environment that supports the 90,000 nights that are spent on site every year, with the desire to allow everyone to have the best possible experience while being close to nature.

For you, being a volunteer is also an opportunity to develop your talents while being useful in the daily life of the centre. Our wish is for each Jambee to leave Jambville feeling empowered and ready to contribute to the world. You will be part of a mixed team of French and international staff and volunteers.

Jambees Mission

In our scout centre, Jambees can do all kinds of practical work in teams with the aim of contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, in all their diversity. The volunteer’s mission is outdoors oriented and aims to promote the nature approach for all users of the site. Raising awareness and preserving nature can be done through numerous missions such as maintaining the outdoor spaces, offering activities to scouts, raising awareness of recycling and nature in the park, encouraging the use of bicycles, and improving the outdoor services offered to guests.

If you are creative or have the will to contribute beyond the initial missions, on your free time and with the agreement of the centre, you can carry out a personal project and leave your mark in Jambville.

Pace of life

A Jambee‘s day may change according to the time of year and the activities going on in the center, especially during events or weekends. Jambees work 5 days a week throughout their volunteering period. In order to provide a scouting experience for all our guests, we need your commitment and flexibility, so it is possible that you will be asked to participate in evening activities such as an international campfire, a trapper’s meal or a night-time nature discovery.

Jambee profile

You don’t need to have any specific skills or knowledge before you arrive. What is important is that you share the Jambees‘ spirit: you are eager to learn new things and discover new horizons. You are interested by the opportunity to live in a scouting environment, with the curiosity to discover new cultures, other ways of life and the ability to be open-minded. You bring with you a lot of energy, a positive attitude, flexibility, and the desire to be outdoors! We value the ability to work within a team with optimism and to lead projects collectively for the benefit of the park’s users.

It is necessary to you have some knowledge of French, and the willingness to learn, as not everyone in Jambville speaks English.

Having a driver’s license is not mandatory but is an advantage because Jambville is in the countryside. The city of Paris is not easy to get to from the centre and takes a long time (1h30 walk and 1h by train).

Jambees’ benefits

• Acquire new skills for professional and personal life in a multicultural environment
• A welcome week to discover the centre and its activities
• All meals in Jambville, both while at work and on days off
• Accommodation for international volunteers in the heart of the centre where rooms, living room, laundry, wifi and kitchen are shared among Jambees
• All bedding and towels, shampoo, soap, and other basic toiletries
• A 50-hectare park to enjoy evenings around the fire and the nature of the regional nature park
• Accident and injury insurance for days worked or scouting activities
• Two days off per week
• A Jambville outfit
• 1 volunteer evening per month

Visas et procédures administratives :

Citizens of EU/EFTA countries.

Citizens of EU/EFTA member countries do not need an additional visa to volunteer in Jambville.

Citizens of non-EU/EFTA countries

You need a visa to volunteer in France. The procedure for obtaining a visa is complicated, but we will help you with your visa application. You must apply for a long-stay visa for a period equal to the duration of your mission in France (minimum 3 months and up to 6 months).

The Jambville centre does not cover the fees charged by the local embassy or consulate in your own country. Please note that the VISA application process can take up to 3 months.

Apply today & join the Jambee Family!

To share with us your willingness to become a Jambee you can fill in the application form which is available in English and French during the open application periods listed below. In this form you will have to send:

• A letter or a 2-minute video (or both) introducing yourself (your interests, your experiences and skills, your scouting life, your expectations), explaining what makes you want to live an international experience and what you like about this mission in Jambville.
• A copy of your passport or ID card
• Safe from harm certificate
• If you wish, you can also include a photo of yourself, any projects you would like to share with us, or a reference letter from an unrelated adult explaining your character and suitability to join our team. A Scoutmaster, teacher or sports coach would be ideal as they can understand the type of volunteering you want to get involved in.

We’ll be reviewing applications at the end of Winter 2024 to understand what motivates you to become a Jambee and if everything looks good, we will invite you in February to an online interview for 15 – 20 minutes. This will be an opportunity for us to get to know you a little better and for you to ask your questions.

To confirm your application once Jambville has approved it, you will need to provide a letter of recommendation from the international commissioner of your National Scout Association and proof of personal insurance to cover illness and repatriation.

Duration for 2024 applications

Your steps to organize your stay once selected

• Subscribe a personal travel insurance to cover illness, personal belongings and repatriation
• Obtain an international driver’s license or an official French translation if you wish drive in France
• Organize your travel to and from Jambville at your own expense
• Take a cell phone and French sim card if you wish
• Plan your own spending money. Everything you need to live in Jambville is provided, but you must cover all other personal expenses. You will need to think about what you would like to do during your stay in France and budget accordingly.
• Visa: Jambville will issue a letter of invitation, but it is up to you to go to the embassy. According to the country, you may have to pay an administrative fee when collecting your visa.