Comprehensive Youth Programming in the High Ubaye Valley
At Association Vivre Jeune à Jausiers, our field operations are purposefully designed around the lived rhythms of families and children living in our mountainous territory. Operating continuously throughout the school year and across all major school holiday periods (All Saints, Winter, Spring, and Summer), our programs provide a safe, structured, and stimulating environment where young people discover new horizons outside traditional classroom walls.
All programs are formally declared to the Service Départemental à la Jeunesse, à l'Engagement et aux Sports (SDJES) of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence as Accueils Collectifs de Mineurs (ACM). We maintain strict pedagogical frameworks led by certified Directors (BAFD) and qualified animators (BAFA), supported by dedicated community volunteers. In full alignment with our non-profit public interest charter, all activities are completely non-commercial, with no profit-generating sales or hidden charges.
1. Extracurricular Discovery & Creative Arts (Ages 4 to 12)
Designed for younger children from preschool through primary school, our creative arts and discovery ateliers take place every Wednesday afternoon and during after-school hours at our dedicated activity rooms in the Maison des Associations.
Our pedagogical approach emphasizes sensory exploration, manual dexterity, emotional expression, and cooperative play. Rather than following rigid instructions, children are encouraged to experiment with diverse artistic and scientific mediums under gentle mentorship:
- Plastic Arts and Alpine Crafts: Painting with natural mineral pigments, clay modeling, stone mosaics, papier-mâché sculpture, and introductory woodworking using local larch offcuts provided by valley carpenters.
- Theatre and Expressive Storytelling: Role-playing games, puppet theatre construction, vocal exercises, and collaborative improvisation that build public speaking confidence, emotional literacy, and mutual empathy.
- Junior Science and Astronomy Discovery: Hands-on experiments exploring the water cycle of the Ubaye river, building simple weather stations to monitor alpine precipitation, and telescope stargazing workshops taking advantage of the famously pure, unpolluted night skies of the high valley.
2. Alpine Heritage & Environmental Stewardship (Ages 8 to 16)
The natural landscape of Jausiers and the surrounding alpine passes—including the iconic slopes leading to the Col de la Bonette—constitute an incomparable open-air classroom. Our environmental stewardship initiative connects young people with their natural biosphere through active, hands-on scientific observation and trail conservation.
Organized in close partnership with naturalists, forestry officers (ONF), and educational rangers from the Mercantour National Park periphery, this program encompasses:
- Ecological Field Surveys: Seasonal biodiversity mapping, monitoring high-altitude flora (such as gentians, edelweiss, and alpine rhododendrons), identifying wildlife tracks in winter snow, and recording bird migratory patterns through high-power spotting scopes.
- Trail Restoration and River Cleanups: Youth actively participate in maintaining local walking paths, clearing fallen mountain debris, repairing trail markers in cooperation with the local hiking club, and conducting biannual waste cleanups along the banks of the Ubaye river.
- Mountain Safety and Survival Literacy: Comprehensive instruction in reading 1:25,000 IGN topographic maps, navigating with magnetic compasses, recognizing incoming mountain weather systems, basic wilderness first aid, and understanding snow science and avalanche risk prevention.
3. Civic Leadership & Youth Town Halls (Ages 13 to 18)
Adolescence is a pivotal stage for cultivating civic identity, democratic consciousness, and social responsibility. Our Youth Forum initiative provides young adults with a dedicated, non-partisan institutional platform to discuss community issues, learn public deliberation techniques, and formulate actionable proposals for the municipality of Jausiers.
Key activities include:
- Parliamentary Debate and Public Speaking: Structured, respectful debates on contemporary societal topics such as environmental transitions, local public transport accessibility, and digital ethics, teaching youth to construct persuasive arguments supported by facts and evidence.
- Community Solidarity Projects: Youth cohorts conceptualize and manage self-directed community initiatives, including organizing intergenerational games afternoons for elderly residents at local retirement facilities and coordinating book drives for the village library.
- Municipal Civic Dialogue: Bi-annual consultative meetings with elected municipal representatives from the Jausiers town hall, where youth present constructive ideas regarding public sports infrastructure, youth leisure spaces, and ecological initiatives in the commune.
4. Seasonal Holiday Camps & Multi-Day Wilderness Traverses
During school vacation periods, our association organizes intensive multi-day camps and mountain hut expeditions that immerse young people in collaborative group living. Living communally in certified alpine gîtes or supervised basecamps, youth share in daily communal tasks—from preparing shared meals using locally sourced mountain ingredients to pitching expedition tents and maintaining communal living quarters.
These immersive experiences foster lasting bonds of friendship, break down social barriers between youth from different social backgrounds, and teach self-reliance and collective accountability in a deeply supportive setting.
Universal Registration Protocol and Family Access
Enrolling a child in our programs is designed to be completely straightforward and barrier-free for all families residing in Jausiers or neighboring Ubaye communes. In keeping with our public service mandate:
- No Commercial Fees: We charge zero commercial tuition or service fees. An annual statutory associative membership fee (typically between 10 € and 25 € per family) covers comprehensive mutual liability insurance under our departmental policy.
- Sliding-Scale Solidarity: For specialized day trips or multi-day camps, participation contributions are calculated on a sliding scale based on each family's Quotient Familial CAF. Our internal solidarity reserve guarantees that no child is excluded due to economic hardship.
- Administrative Registration Pack: Parents complete a standard health liaison form (fiche sanitaire de liaison), provide vaccination records in accordance with French public health requirements, and sign the parental authorization and transport agreement.
Registration packs may be picked up in person at the Maison des Associations during administrative office hours or requested directly through our contact form.
5. Academic Mentoring & Homework Support (Contrat Local d'Accompagnement à la Scolarité)
In close coordination with the primary and middle school teachers of the valley, our association runs an accredited Contrat Local d'Accompagnement à la Scolarité (CLAS) every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday following school dismissal. This program is specifically designed to provide calm, supportive environments where children receive individualized academic guidance, learn organizational methods, and gain intellectual confidence.
Unlike private commercial tutoring centers that charge prohibitive hourly rates, our academic support is 100% free of charge for participating families. Staffed by volunteer retired teachers, university student mentors, and certified animators, sessions maintain a low student-to-mentor ratio of 1:4. Mentors help students break down complex homework assignments, practice reading comprehension, reinforce mathematical fundamentals, and develop study habits that alleviate evening homework stress for working parents.
6. Specialized Winter Mountain Programs & Snow Science
When winter blankets the Ubaye Valley in deep snow, our operations transition smoothly into specialized winter mountain workshops. Rather than restricting youth to indoor quarters, we harness the winter wonderland as a dynamic developmental playground. Youth participate in guided Nordic snowshoeing expeditions, learning how alpine fauna such as the mountain hare and rock ptarmigan adapt to sub-zero temperatures.
Winter workshops also introduce children to fundamental snow science. Participants learn to dig snow pits, examine individual snowflake crystal structures with field magnifying loupes, identify weak layers in the snowpack, and observe how temperature fluctuations impact slope stability. These practical experiences demystify alpine risks while instilling an instinctual respect for mountain nature that protects youth throughout their lives.
7. Free Mountain Gear & Equipment Lending Library
In alpine sports and outdoor exploration, high-quality protective gear—such as technical waterproof outerwear, sturdy hiking boots, ergonomic backpacks, trekking poles, and winter snowshoes—presents a major financial hurdle for many families. To ensure our Zero Economic Exclusion guarantee is an absolute practical reality, Association Vivre Jeune maintains a fully stocked mountain equipment lending library at the Maison des Associations.
Through municipal donations, territorial sports subventions, and cooperative community gear drives, we provide every registered participant with top-grade technical equipment at zero rental cost. Gear is meticulously inspected, cleaned, and maintained by our volunteer logistics team after every outing, ensuring that every child is warm, dry, and safe on the trails regardless of their household's economic means.