Travel for Life - Explorer ambassadors

As the school year draws to a close, it's the perfect time to start thinking about recruiting explorer ambassadors (formerly known as JTA’s) for the upcoming academic year.

Explorer ambassadors are a vital part of the pupil council, specialising in promoting active and sustainable travel as well as road safety. These ambassadors meet regularly with a staff lead to brainstorm and implement strategies to encourage active travel and organize activities that they can run independently. This initiative is a key component of the broader TfL Travel for Life scheme.

Ideal candidates

We recommend selecting explorer ambassadors from year 5 and 6 pupils. A balanced team of 4-8 ambassadors per school is ideal, with a strategy of recruiting 4 new ambassadors from year 5 each year. This approach ensures that each year, there are experienced ambassadors in year 6 to mentor the new recruits from year 5.

How to recruit

1. Identify potential candidates: Look for pupils who are enthusiastic about promoting road safety and sustainable travel.
2. Application process: Have interested pupils fill out an application form to express their interest and explain why they would be a good fit. You could even run interviews for shortlisted applicants.
3. Selection and announcement: Select 4 new ambassadors from year 5 and announce the new team.

After recruitment

Once your new explorer ambassadors are in place, complete the explorer ambassador application form. This will notify the school travel team, who can offer additional support.

Resources and further information

Remember, any pupil council initiative that promotes road safety and active travel can be classified under the explorer ambassadors programme.

For more detailed information, refer to the Explorer Ambassadors guide and the Ealing explorer ambassador page on EGfL.

By starting your recruitment now, you'll be setting the stage for a successful and impactful year ahead, fostering a culture of safety and sustainability within your school community.