Frequently Asked Questions

If we are unable to answer your questions, please email us at reghelp@yja.org.

General Questions

The 2022 YJA Convention will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center near Dallas, Texas from July 1st to July 4th, 2022. The site has been reserved for the Convention attendees and guests and will be appropriately prepared for a safe Jain environment.
Convention attendees must be between the ages of 14-29 as of the first day of the Convention. Each attendee must provide proof of their date of birth with a government issued ID upon check-in (passport, driver's license, birth certificate, etc.).
Interested in who is on Convention Committee? Check out our board biography page to learn about the wonderful people who are organizing the 2022 YJA Convention.
Nearly 750 youth from across North America and around the world are expected to attend the 15th Biennial YJA Convention.
No. Attendees will not be allowed to leave the Convention site due to safety and liability issues.
You can download a copy of the rules and regulations here.

Convention Activities

We will cover topics such as Jain philosophy, culture, knowledge, global impact, leadership, school and careers, spiritual development, interfaith dialogues, and community contributions through discussions, panels, debates and interactive sessions.
Before the Convention, you will have the opportunity to select some of the daytime sessions you would like to attend.
Speakers from around the world with a variety of backgrounds will be invited to the Convention to cover a diverse range of topics. Please check back in May for a complete list of speakers and session topics.
This year’s Convention will be featuring traditional YJA nighttime activities such as the Garba, talent show, and the formal. There will also be “track specific” nighttime events targeted specifically towards 14-21 attendees or 22+ attendees.
22+ Programming brings personal, professional, social, and spiritual growth opportunities for attendees aged 22-29. Those in this age group will attend all of the general Convention programming as well as some specialized events, which will challenge their thinking and develop goals via interactive sessions, networking opportunities, and social events. Attendees who may have graduated from college early, are in graduate school, or are working full time should register for the 22+ Programming track.
Coming soon! In the meantime, check out the 2016 and 2018 Convention schedules.

Registration Details

14-17; 18-21; and 22+ (ages 22-29).
The registration fee includes accommodations, meals and access to all the activities for the 4-day event. Also included is transportation to and from DFW/DAL, as well as a souvenir bag filled with keepsakes such as Jain literature, a list of vegetarian/vegan friendly restaurants, Convention apparel and other unique souvenir items.
The registration fee includes accommodations, meals, and access to all the activities for the 4-day event. Also included is transportation to and from DFW/DAL, a souvenir bag filled with keepsakes such as Jain literature, a list of vegetarian/vegan friendly restaurants and recipes, Convention apparel and other unique souvenir items, and materials for COVID-19 precautions (isolation rooms, rapid tests, etc.).
To provide each attendee with hotel accommodations, meals, and the opportunity to attend sessions and social events, the actual total cost per person is $439.00 for 14-21 attendees and $479.00 for 22+ attendees. YJA works very hard in fundraising during the year to help subsidize each attendee's cost of attendance. We would greatly appreciate it if you could help YJA by choosing the "Unsubsidized" pricing option at the time of payment. This would help us raise the money we need to ensure Convention remains affordable for as many potential attendees as possible. Thank you all very much!
If you have trouble registering online, please contact reghelp@yja.org.
Please e-mail reghelp@yja.org to cancel your registration. If you cancel your registration while registration in your age group (high school, college, 22+) is still open and it is on or before May 22, 2022, you will receive a full refund of all collected fee amount. If registration in your age group has closed and you wish to cancel your registration on or before May 22, 2022, you will receive a 50% refund of all collected fee amount.vAbsolutely no refunds will be issued for cancellations on or after May 23, 2022 unless specified for COVID-19 reasons. If you receive a positive COVID-19 test result within 10 days of Convention, email vaccination@yja.org immediately. If you show proof of a positive test on or after June 21, 2022, your registration will be canceled and you may receive a partial refund. YJA reserves the right to change or cancel Convention plans (programs, activities, sessions, etc.), including for the safety of participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. No refund requests will be entertained due to any such changes or cancellations. YJA is not responsible for any charges associated with these changes or cancellations (travel, accommodations, etc.). If you have any questions regarding registration cancellations, please contact reghelp@yja.org.
For those that would like to attend but are in need of financial assistance, please complete the Financial Assistance Form during the registration process. Financial Assistance requests will be kept fully confidential and anonymous — only Co-Chairs will have access to them. Financial assistance will be awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis until our allocation of funds is exhausted.
Delicious Jain food will be served for the duration of the Convention. This includes a variety of cuisines ranging from Mexican to Italian to Indian. No onions, potatoes, root vegetables, meats, or animal byproducts will be distributed or used to prepare the meals. A vegan diet option will also be available. If you have any other dietary restrictions, please let us know during the registration process or contact reghelp@yja.org!

Resources/Support During the Convention

Yes, a physician will be on-site and available 24 hours a day during the 4-day Convention.
Please contact reghelp@yja.org if you have a disability and will be needing additional assistance. Please let us know your situation so we can do our best to accommodate your needs accordingly.
Adult volunteers will be chaperones and will be helping throughout the Convention. If you are an adult or know an adult who would like to get involved, please email volunteer.dtx@yja.org.
Yes, wireless internet will be provided in select areas of the hotel and guest rooms.

Getting to and from the Convention

Check-in will begin at 12:00pm CT on July 1st and continue throughout the day. It is recommended that attendees arrive as early as possible for the chance to experience opening day activities as well as meet and mingle with old and new friends.
A shuttle service will be available to/from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field Airport for attendees to use.

Volunteering at the Convention

Please fill out the 2022 YJA Volunteer Interest Form if you would like to volunteer to help during the actual Convention. We ask that only adults ages 35 and older volunteer because anyone between the ages of 14-29 we would want to attend the Convention. Youth can get involved by helping to fundraise (fundraising.dtx@yja.org) and helping to publicize the Convention (pr.dtx@yja.org).
Volunteers will be necessary to make this a successful Convention! Any amount of time, from four hours to the length of the entire Convention, will help us make everything run smoothly. Some of the areas that we will need volunteers are to transport people to and from the Convention, register attendees as they arrive, help for security, set up sessions and evening events, as well as assist speakers. Volunteers for this Convention cannot be between the ages of 14-29. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the 2022 YJA Volunteer Interest Form and we will contact you during the months of April-May for further instructions. For any further questions, feel free to contact us at volunteer.dtx@yja.org.

How to Prepare

Please bring your driver’s license or any other government issued ID (passports are acceptable as well). If you don’t have one, please bring your high school or college ID. Your ID must have your name as you have registered for the Convention, as well as your birth date and a photo of you.
We expect that all of our attendees will conduct themselves in a polite, professional manner. To that end, YJA enforces a strict dress code during the Convention in order to foster our professional image. Our guidelines on appropriate attire are designed to promote a more productive, enjoyable social environment, while maintaining the high level of respect for speakers, for which our organization is known for. We recommend wearing event appropriate attire throughout the Convention. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact reghelp@yja.org.