Get involved
Timeline and events
JANUARY
IDEA COLLECTION
- Youth (ages 12-26) are invited to submit ideas for summer programs
-Four in person information sessions are offered across Long Beach
MARCH
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
- Youth Steering Committee decides on the ideas to shape into project proposals
-Project Development Team partner with organizations to create project proposals and market ideas!​​
APRIL
PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
- Youth Voting begins!
-Meet organizations in person at the Youth Voter Fair
-Vote online OR in person at the Youth Voting Sites across Long Beach
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Summer
PROPOSAL IMPLEMENTATION
- Winning proposals are funded
- Proposal implementation begins
-Be sure to sign up to attend the summer programs of your choice! ​
The Long Beach Invest in Youth Coalition, in partnership with the City of Long Beach, the Long Beach Office of Youth Development, and The Nonprofit Partnership present YOUTH POWER PB Long Beach, the first Citywide participatory budgeting process that was piloted in 2023.
To ensure a youth-led process, we invite youth ages 12-26 and youth-serving organizations to submit idea proposals, initiated by youth, that advance the core goals of the Youth & Emerging Adults Strategic Plan (YSP) and that serve youth ages 8-24.
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A Youth Steering Committee will review the ideas and decide on which ideas advance to the next phase. A Youth Budget Delegate team will collaborate with youth-serving organizations to turn ideas into budget proposals that advance equity and center youth priorities.
Then, in the spring, a Youth Voter Fair will kick off a 16-day voting period. Youth ages 12-26 who live, learn, work, and/or play in Long Beach will vote for the budget proposals they want funded during the summer of this year. With up to four votes to cast, the proposals with the winning votes will be funded by $550,000 of Measure US funds.
WHAT IS PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING?
Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process that empowers everyday people to decide how to spend public dollars. It was developed in Brazil in 1989 and since then many variations of PB have been implemented by schools, community organizations, and cities worldwide.
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Through this process we strive to:
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Strengthen shared-governance
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Expand a multi-racial democracy
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Invest in youth leadership
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Build community connections
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Shape equitable public budgets
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Youth (ages 12-26) who live, learn, work and/or play in Long Beach, CA can submit ideas and vote for the budget proposals they want to fund this summer. Ideas must serve youth ages 8-24.
WHERE DO THE FUNDS COME FROM?
Youth-serving organizations that operate in Long Beach can submit idea proposals, initiated by youth or sponsor a youth idea for programs that serve youth ages 8-24.
The city allocates Measure US funds to support PB summer projects and programs. Measure US, a ballot measure passed by Long Beach voters in 2020, provides annual funding for public health, climate change initiatives, and children and youth services across the city.
CONNECT
Please send general inquiries to Popo@kgalb.org
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For press and media related inquiries, please email media@kgalb.org.