The third iteration of the Youth Power Participatory Budgeting (PB) Long Beach has begun, and youth ages 13 to 26 are invited to make their voices heard. Now through Feb. 1, local youth can share their ideas for how $550,000 should be spent on youth summer projects.
This effort is led by Long Beach Health and Human Services’ Office of Youth Development, along with The Nonprofit Partnership, Invest in Youth Coalition and Khmer Girls in Action.
“Long Beach is committed to fostering youth leadership and community engagement,” said Mayor Rex Richardson in a public statement. “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.”
The Youth Power PB funding comes from Measure US and the City’s Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, with this year’s amount almost doubling the total funds allocated during the program’s first cycle in 2023. These funds will be allocated to project budgets, with amounts ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. Youth who live, work or play in Long Beach will decide which proposals to fund.
The 2025 cycle of Youth Power PB will begin with a series of in-person brainstorming sessions across the city, ensuring youth from various neighborhoods can make their voices heard. Youth need to only attend one session to submit their concepts for youth summer projects.
The sessions will take place at the following dates and times:
- Thursday, Jan. 16 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Admiral Kidd Park (2125 Santa Fe Ave.)
- Thursday, Jan. 23 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Whaley Park (5620 E. Atherton St.)
- Thursday, Jan. 30 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)
- Saturday, Feb. 1 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Youth Movement and Education Center (2217 E. Sixth St.)
“We are proud to see the return of the Youth Power PB process empowering young people to actively shape their communities,” said Health and Human Services Director Alison King in a public statement. “This initiative strengthens shared governance, fosters meaningful connections and supports a more inclusive and equitable Long Beach.”
Youth Power PB Long Beach is currently in its first phase and will feature two additional phases:
- Phase 1 – Idea Collection: Now through Feb. 1, Long Beach youth can submit their project ideas.
- Phase 2 – Project Development: In February, youth steering committee members will select ideas from the pool of submissions. The selected ideas will move on to the project development phase in March, where youth and community organizations will turn them into full proposals for the voting ballot.
- Phase 3 – Voting: Beginning in April, youth ages 12 to 26 will be invited to vote over a 10-day period on which projects should be funded. 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.
Last year’s Youth Power PB cycle gathered 43 project ideas and 13 were selected by the youth steering committee and placed on the ballot. This was followed by a voter fair at Long Beach Polytechnic High School and voting locations set up at local high schools, teen centers and public libraries.
The nine programs selected by voters centered around topics such as community care, housing, and planning for the future, with several programs aligning with initiatives of the Long Beach Youth & Emerging Adults Strategic Plan. To learn more about the 2024 programs, visit longbeach.gov/youthfund.
Youth who are looking for additional information about the budget process can fill out the youth interest form to learn more. Community organizations who are looking to take part in the proposal development phase are invited to check out the organization interest form.
For more information about Youth Power PB, visit investinyouthlb.org.
