The Californer - Office of Youth Development Announces Fourth Year of Youth Power Participatory Budgeting Long Beach

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Above: Youth participate in a previous voter fair as part of the City's Youth Power Participatory Budgeting project.

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) Office of Youth Development, in partnership with The Nonprofit Partnership and Invest in Youth Coalition anchored by Khmer Girls in Action, has announced the fourth year of Youth Power Participatory Budgeting (PB) Long Beach, a participatory budgeting process where youth vote on how to spend public dollars on youth summer projects.

"Long Beach is proud to continue investing in youth leadership," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "Through the Youth Power Participatory Budgeting process, more and more young people are learning the power of collaboration and civic engagement while leading the development of programs that make a lasting difference in their city."

A total of $500,000 will be allocated through this process for projects ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, which will be voted on by youth who live, work, or play in Long Beach. The winning proposals will be funded in summer 2026 through Measure US dollars and one-time General Fund support.

The fourth cycle of Youth Power PB will kick off with four in-person idea collection sessions held across Long Beach, designed to ensure that youth from all neighborhoods have an opportunity to participate. Youth need only to attend one session to submit their ideas for youth summer projects.

The dates and locations for the sessions are as follows:

Thursday, Dec. 4 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)
Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Youth Movement and Education Center (2217 E. 6th St.)
Thursday, Dec. 11 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center at Admiral Kidd Park (2125 Santa Fe Ave.)
Tuesday, Dec. 16 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Whaley Park Community Center (5620 E. Atherton St.)

Beyond the idea collection sessions, youth can stay involved throughout the entire process in ways that match their interests and goals. They can help review project proposals, work with community organizations to develop project ideas, support outreach and communications or be part of the final voting phase. These opportunities allow youth to build new skills, connect with peers and take on leadership roles with real decision-making power. Youth interested in learning more about the different ways they can participate can fill out the youth interest form for more information. Community organizations interested in engaging during the proposal development phase are encouraged to complete the organization interest form.

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"The Youth Power Participatory Budgeting process embodies our vision of community health, where young people have both voice and influence," said Health and Human Services Director Alison King. "This collaborative approach strengthens shared leadership, promotes well-being and ensures every young person has the opportunity to thrive."

Youth Power PB Long Beach will be carried out in three phases:

Phase 1: Idea Collection. From Dec. 1 through Jan. 6, youth ages 12 to 26 in Long Beach can submit ideas for projects to be funded.
Phase 2: Project Development. In January and February, youth steering committee members will select ideas from the pool of submissions and match them with interested Long Beach community organizations. These selected ideas will move on to the project development phase in March, where youth and community organizations will collaborate to turn them into full proposals for the voting ballot.
Phase 3: Voting. Youth throughout Long Beach will be invited to vote on which projects should be funded. Voting will be open to youth ages 12 to 26 who live, learn, work or play in Long Beach. Voting will be available online or in person at designated voting sites such as teen centers, libraries and high schools. More information about voting centers will be available at a later date.

The third Youth Power PB cycle saw a significant increase in engagement, receiving over 400 project ideas, more than nine times as many submissions compared to the previous year. From the submissions, 24 ideas were selected by the Youth Steering Committee and developed into full proposals before appearing on the ballot. Voting took place at high schools, teen centers and community centers citywide, with a voter fair hosted at Long Beach City Hall Plaza. A total of 1,976 youth voted across Long Beach, more than tripling voter participation compared to the previous year. The 11 selected projects focused on community care, housing, health and wellness, planning for the future and transportation, aligning with five of the six goals outlined in the Long Beach Youth and Emerging Adults Strategic Plan. For more information about projects funded in 2025, visit longbeach.gov/youthfund.

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Youth Power PB Long Beach, the City's first citywide participatory budget process, funds projects led by community organizations whose work aligns with the Youth & Emerging Adults Strategic Plan. Participatory budgeting is a democratic approach to public spending that empowers young people in our community to help decide how funds are used. To learn more about the Youth Power Participatory Budgeting process, visit investinyouthlb.org.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Health Department is available at longbeach.gov/health and on social on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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