WHAT: The Youth Voter Fair marks the beginning of the third phase of Youth Power PB Long Beach, the first citywide youth participatory budgeting pilot process.
Youth ages 13- 26 who live, learn, work, and/or play in Long Beach are invited to attend the event to learn about summer program proposals and to meet staff of the organizations who will implement them, should their idea receive the most votes. There are 19 summer program proposals and those with the most votes will be awarded funds, allocated from voter-backed Measure US. Each youth voter can cast up to 4 votes per program proposal. Proposals that are funded will be implemented during the Summer of 2023. WHEN & WHERE: Youth Voter Fair: Tuesday, May 2nd, 4PM- 7PM;
Long Beach City College PCC Campus Quad 1305 E. Pacific Coast Hwy. Long Beach, CA 90806. Free parking is available for attendees as marked in Lot 2 off Orange St. entrance. 10-Day Online voting begins Tuesday, May 2nd at 4 PM and commences on Thursday, May 11th at 11:59 PM PST. Links to the online voting site and information on how to vote can be found at: www.investinyouthlb.org
WHY: Far too often youth are excluded in decision-making processes that affect their communities and lives. To date, neighborhoods with the highest concentration of youth under the age of 18 are also neighborhoods with the highest concentration of poverty1. And, with the pandemic and historic, racialized institutional divestment driving learning loss, youth of color continue to be disproportionately impacted by its adverse health impacts now and into their adulthood2. The Youth Power PB Long Beach aims to introduce new ways of expanding democracy that includes the city’s youth population and those who commute to Long Beach for academic, work, or recreation.
The summer proposals are crafted to meet the five goals of the Long Beach Youth & Emerging Adults Strategic Plan (health and wellness, planning for our future, community care, transportation and housing). The plan was developed by youth across all nine districts and adopted by councilmembers in 2021 as a blueprint on how to equitably spend public dollars, earmarked for children and youth. “Participatory budgeting is a process that gives community members an opportunity to have their voice heard for the things they want to see change or to improve in their community. This process is great because it allows so many groups of people to participate, including marginalized communities or immigrants.” - Maygan Ngeng, Age 16, Junior “Every youth has a chance at voting for a proposal that can benefit us as a whole! We have POWER over REAL MONEY!” - Auttum Phang, Age 16, Sophomore
WHO: This Participatory Budgeting process is made possible by the funds allocated by Measure US, by the voters who supported the passage of Measure US in 2020 along with partners of YOUTH POWER PB Long Beach: The Long Beach Invest in Youth Coalition, The Nonprofit Partnership, and the City of Long Beach’s Office of Youth Development. The Youth Voter Fair is made possible by the sponsorship of LBCC’s Associated Student Body.
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