The Californer - Office of Youth Development Announces Third Year of Youth Power PB (Participatory Budgeting) Long Beach

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Long Beach, CA ~ Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach is once again demonstrating its commitment to youth leadership and community engagement through the third year of Youth Power Participatory Budgeting (PB) Long Beach. This unique process, in partnership with The Nonprofit Partnership and Invest in Youth Coalition, anchored by Khmer Girls in Action, allows youth to vote on how to spend public dollars on summer projects that directly impact their growth and success.

Mayor Rex Richardson expressed his support for the program, stating, "The youth participatory budgeting process is a powerful way to elevate youth voices, empowering them to shape programs and initiatives that directly impact their growth and success." This year, a total of $550,000 will be allocated for the program, nearly double the amount from its first cycle in 2023. These funds are made possible through Measure US dollars and one-time funding approved as part of the Mayoral recommendations for the City's Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025.

The third cycle of Youth Power PB will kick off with four in-person idea collection sessions held across Long Beach. These sessions are designed to ensure that youth from all neighborhoods have an opportunity to participate. The dates and locations for these sessions are as follows: Thursday, Jan. 16 at Admiral Kidd Park (2125 Santa Fe Ave.), Thursday, Jan. 23 at Whaley Park (5620 E. Atherton St.), Thursday, Jan. 30 at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.), and Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Youth Movement and Education Center (2217 E. 6th St.). Youth only need to attend one session to submit their ideas for summer projects.

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To further engage youth in the process, an interest form has been created for those who want more information on how they can participate in all phases of Youth Power PB. Additionally, community organizations interested in being involved during the proposal development phase are encouraged to complete an organization interest form.

Health and Human Services Director Alison King expressed her pride in the return of the Youth Power PB process, stating, "This initiative strengthens shared governance, fosters meaningful connections and supports a more inclusive and equitable Long Beach." The program will be carried out in three phases: idea collection, project development, and voting.

During the idea collection phase from Jan. 6 through Jan. 31, youth ages 13 to 26 in Long Beach can submit their project ideas to be funded with Measure US Youth Fund dollars. In February, a youth steering committee will select ideas from the pool of submissions to move on to the project development phase in March. During this phase, youth and community organizations will collaborate to turn these ideas into full proposals for the voting ballot.

The final phase of voting will take place in April over a 10-day period. Youth throughout Long Beach between the ages of 12 and 26 will have the opportunity to vote for their preferred projects either online or at designated voting sites such as teen centers, libraries, and high schools. More information about voting centers will be available at a later date.

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In its second cycle, Youth Power PB received 43 project ideas with 13 selected by the youth steering committee and placed on the ballot. A voter fair was held at Long Beach Polytechnic High School and voting locations were set up at high schools, teen centers, and public libraries throughout the voting phase. The nine programs prioritized by youth voters focused on community care, housing, health and wellness, planning for the future, and transportation – aligning with five of the six goals in the Long Beach Youth & Emerging Adults Strategic Plan. To learn more about projects funded in 2024 through this process, visit longbeach.gov/youthfund.

Youth Power PB Long Beach is not only unique as a citywide participatory budget process but also as a way to fund projects by community organizations aligned with the Youth and Emerging Adults Strategic Plan. This democratization of public dollars empowers young residents to delegate how public dollars are spent. To learn more about the Youth Power PB process, visit investinyouthlb.org.

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