A Year of Enriching Community Life in the High Valley
The 2026 operational calendar of Association Vivre Jeune à Jausiers has been thoughtfully constructed to reflect the seasonal transitions and communal heritage of the Ubaye Valley. From the snow-draped landscapes of mid-winter to the sunlit meadows of midsummer, our events provide consistent, safe, and engaging opportunities for children, adolescents, and families to connect with nature, learn essential life skills, and participate in vibrant civic life.
In strict alignment with our non-profit public utility status, all listed events are entirely non-commercial. Activities are either completely free of charge or offered at minimal, sliding-scale contributions covering direct operational costs. Equipment from our mountain gear library is provided free of charge to all registered youth participants.
Quarter 1: Winter Snow Science, Craftsmanship & Democratic Governance
During the high winter months, our programming balances cozy, creative indoor ateliers at the Maison des Associations with exhilarating snow science outings across the local alpine slopes:
January 17, 2026: Winter Snowpack Ecology & Avalanche Safety
Audience: Youth aged 8 to 16 • Location: Upper Jausiers Nordic Trails • Time: 09:30 – 16:30
Led by certified mountain educators and ski patrol specialists. Participants explore snow crystal structures, learn to dig snow pits to observe stability layers, and practice using avalanche transceivers (DVA), probes, and shovels. Snowshoes and safety beacons provided free from our lending library. Packed lunch required.
February 11, 2026: Intergenerational Alpine Woodworking Atelier
Audience: Children aged 6 to 12 & Village Seniors • Location: Maison des Associations Atelier • Time: 14:00 – 17:30
A collaborative afternoon bringing together village elder woodworkers and young participants. Children learn hand-tool safety and traditional carving techniques while crafting wooden birdhouses for spring nesting. Concludes with a warm herbal tea and artisanal gingerbread snack.
March 20, 2026: Annual Ordinary General Assembly (Assemblée Générale)
Audience: All Registered Members, Parents, Municipal Delegates & Public • Location: Salle Communale de Jausiers • Time: 18:30 – 21:00
The foundational democratic gathering of our association. Presentation of the Moral Report by the President, Activity Report by pedagogical leads, and Financial Audit Report by the Treasurer. Election of incoming Board of Directors and open discussion on 2026 youth priorities. Followed by a friendly solidarity buffet.
Quarter 2: Spring Awakening, River Stewardship & Youth Deliberation
As snow melts and alpine flora emerges, our activities shift outdoors to celebrate regional biodiversity and active environmental conservation:
April 18, 2026: Ubaye Riverbank Ecological Restoration Day
Audience: All Ages (Children, Teens, Parents & Volunteers) • Location: Jausiers Riverbanks • Time: 10:00 – 16:00
Our annual community river cleanup organized in cooperation with the municipal council and local fishing federations. Youth collect seasonal debris, conduct micro-invertebrate water quality surveys, and plant native willow saplings to stabilize stream banks. Zero-waste picnic lunch provided.
May 15, 2026: Spring Botanical & Pollinator Survey in the High Valley
Audience: Youth aged 8 to 14 • Location: Mercantour Foothills Trail • Time: 13:30 – 17:30
Guided by regional botanists, participants create personal alpine herbariums, observe wild bee species, and learn the ecological importance of high-altitude grasslands. Field magnifying glasses and botanical field guides supplied.
June 12, 2026: Youth Municipal Forum & Civic Proposals
Audience: Adolescents aged 13 to 18 • Location: Mairie de Jausiers Council Chamber • Time: 17:30 – 19:30
Teens present the culmination of their civic debate workshops to the Mayor and municipal councilors, sharing concrete proposals for youth leisure spaces, pedestrian path safety, and summer cultural initiatives.
Quarter 3: Summer Mountain Camps, Wilderness Huts & Astronomy
The summer season represents the pinnacle of our outdoor programming, featuring multi-day wilderness traverses and community celebrations:
July 13–17, 2026: High Alpine Wilderness Basecamp (Ages 10–14)
Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights • Location: Supervised Alpine Gîte, Upper Ubaye • Capacity: 20 Youth
A week of cooperative group living, orienteering challenges, mountain lake ecology, camp cooking, and nighttime stargazing. Led by state-certified animators (BAFA/BAFD) with a 1:6 supervisory ratio. Sliding-scale contribution according to CAF quotient.
August 8, 2026: Night of the Stars (Nuit des Étoiles) in Jausiers
Audience: Open to All Community Members • Location: Plan d'Eau de Jausiers • Time: 21:00 – 00:30
Celebrating the pristine night skies of the Ubaye Valley. Youth from our astronomy atelier guide visitors through celestial observations using high-power telescopes, identifying the Perseid meteor shower, Saturn's rings, and distant nebulae. Free admission for everyone.
Quarter 4: Autumn Heritage, Digital Balance & Annual Review
As autumn foliage paints the valley in golden larch tones, we return to foundational learning, academic support, and community evaluation:
September 9, 2026: Back-to-School Open House & Free Gear Lending Day
Audience: All Parents & Children • Location: Maison des Associations • Time: 14:00 – 18:00
Meet our certified educational animators, discover the weekly Wednesday workshop schedule, enroll in CLAS homework support, and borrow mountain hiking gear and winter snowshoes for the upcoming year.
October 21, 2026: Digital Literacy & Screen Balance Forum for Families
Audience: Parents, Teens & Educators • Location: Maison des Associations • Time: 18:00 – 20:00
An interactive workshop addressing healthy digital habits, managing screen time in rural settings, recognizing cyber-bullying, and promoting creative digital tools over passive consumption.
December 12, 2026: Annual Community Solidarity Celebration
Audience: All Children, Families, Volunteers & Partners • Location: Maison des Associations • Time: 15:00 – 19:00
Exhibition of children's artwork, theatrical sketches, video montages of summer mountain treks, and sharing of homemade mountain pastries. Free, festive gathering honoring our collective community spirit.
Practical Guidelines for Participating Families
To ensure optimal safety, quality supervision, and seamless logistics, we ask families to take note of the following guidelines:
- Pre-Registration: For safety reasons and statutory supervisory ratios, all outdoor outings and multi-day camps require prior registration at least seven days in advance.
- Medical Liaison Sheets: A completed fiche sanitaire de liaison with updated emergency contacts and allergy disclosures must be on file before a child's first activity.
- Weather Adaptations: Mountain weather can change swiftly. In the event of severe weather alerts from Météo-France, outdoor events will seamlessly transition to backup indoor activities at the Maison des Associations.
2026 School Holiday Day-Camp Sessions
During official French academic vacation periods (Zone B), Association Vivre Jeune organizes full-day recreational and educational camps from Monday through Friday (08:30 to 17:30) to support working parents:
Winter Break Camp (February 16–27, 2026)
Theme: "Life Beneath the Snow". Daily snowshoe excursions, alpine animal tracking, igloo building fundamentals, and afternoon hot chocolate storytelling sessions.
Spring Break Camp (April 13–24, 2026)
Theme: "Awakening of the Mountain Valley". Botany ateliers, outdoor pottery sculpture using local river clay, bird nesting surveys, and bicycle safety obstacle courses.
Autumn Toussaint Camp (October 19–30, 2026)
Theme: "Alpine Heritage & Constellations". High-valley historical walks, traditional bread baking in communal village wood ovens, and introduction to astronomical telescope navigation.
Community Transportation & Minibus Pickup Routes
To guarantee that geographical distance is never a barrier to participation, our association coordinates free volunteer minibus shuttles for all major weekend field trips and holiday camps. Designated pickup and drop-off points include:
- Jausiers Central: Maison des Associations (08:30 / 17:30);
- La Condamine-Châtelard: Place de la Mairie (08:45 / 17:15);
- Meyronnes / Val d'Oronaye: Village Bus Shelter (09:00 / 17:00);
- Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye: Communal Parking Area (09:15 / 16:45).
Families desiring shuttle pickup should indicate their preferred stop when submitting event registration forms.
Chaperone Standards, Parent Participation & Mountain Safety
Our association believes that true alpine safety relies on collective vigilance and thorough preparation. For every outdoor field day, our pedagogical teams operate with enhanced supervision parameters that integrate parent volunteers alongside certified animators:
- Parent Chaperone Opportunities: Parents who wish to join our Saturday nature walks or environmental cleanups are warmly encouraged to accompany the group. This not only reinforces adult supervision on mountain trails, but also enables parents to experience firsthand the positive peer dynamics and discovery methods that their children enjoy.
- Emergency Communication Protocols: Mountain areas in the upper valley frequently experience patchy cellular coverage. Field leaders are systematically equipped with dual-band VHF mountain emergency radios calibrated to the Canal E (Sécurité Dauphiné / Ubaye) and satellite tracking distress beacons linked to regional emergency rescue services (PGHM de Jausiers).
- Nutritional & Hydration Rigor: Alpine exertion requires consistent energy replenishment. Our logistics team provides every participant with high-energy dried fruits from local valley orchards, whole-grain snacks, and thermal hydration flasks to maintain optimal physical stamina throughout the day.