City announces 11 winners in 3rd annual youth participatory budgeting project

Nearly 2,000 Long Beach youth decided to split $550,000 evenly between 11 organizations in the city's third annual youth participatory budget project, city officials announced Friday.

From April 8-23, young people ages 12 to 26 in Long Beach voted on which programs geared towards kids they wanted to fund. Voting locations were placed at high schools, teen centers, public libraries, youth workforce centers and community-based organizations.

Participating youth could vote for up to four different programs to receive funding this summer, according to the city.

There were a total of 1,976 votes cast during the project, which is three times last year's total, city officials said. The winning programs centered on community care, housing, health and wellness, planning for the future and transportation.

As a result of the voting, each of the following organizations will receive a $50,000 grant:

Community Care

• The Volunteer Center (397 votes) — Impact Makers: Act Now Long Beach is a five-week, youth-led summer volunteer program that gets kids to engage in hands-on service projects like packing and distributing hygiene kits, meals and toys and cleaning up parks and communities.
• Sowing Seeds of Change (342 votes) — They will set up a farm-to-table program for youth to grow food, cook meals and learn how they can turn their recipes into a business.
• Algalita (289 votes) — The organization will launch a six-week ocean leadership program that gives youth the opportunity to kayak, clean up beaches, conduct science experiments and earn service hours.
• Project Optimism (253 votes) — This mentorship and leadership program is designed for boys entering 8th or 9th grade. Youth can explore cultural identity, build life skills and connect with college-aged mentors through engaging workshops and hands-on activities.

Health and Wellness

• Devotion Fitness (302 votes) — This program will create a space for people ages 12-26 to move, connect and thrive through free boxing, pickleball and roller-skating.
• YMCA (270 votes) — The Y Not Project offers a free basketball league, volleyball camp, teen memberships and a giant pool party.
• Books & Buckets (250 votes) — Books & Buckets will host the Summer YOUth Games, a weekly program with creative basketball-inspired games that promote leadership and communication.
• Breaking the Cycle (228 votes) — This youth-led wellness space will allow participants to talk openly about family, relationships and healing from generational trauma.

Housing

• Success in Challenges (235 votes) — This will be a six-week program supporting young people facing housing instability in Long Beach that will include stable housing assistance, life skills training, financial aid and physical and mental wellness support.

Planning for the Future

• Elite Skills Development (334 votes) — This life skills program will offer an opportunity for youth to learn essentials like budgeting, meal prep, first aid and laundry.

Transportation

• Our Generation Cares (358 votes) — This program integrates digital learning, hands-on driving experience and workforce readiness, creating a solid learning environment to prepare youth for real-world driving and career opportunities.

Anyone interested in participating in any of the above summer programs should reach out directly to the organizations, city officials said. Contact information can be found on the Office of Youth Development Youth Fund webpage. 

The city launched Youth Power Participatory Budgeting Long Beach in 2023 with funding from Measure US and Racial Reconciliation Funding. It was the first citywide participatory budget pilot process in which young people voted how on how to spend $300,000 in Measure US funds, according to the city.

“Participatory budgeting is more than a civic process — it’s a promise that every voice matters, and every young resident has the power to shape our community,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement Friday. “This year, we had more than triple the amount of youth participate in the voting period compared to last year, highlighting our young community’s passion and dedication to civic engagement and making a difference in Long Beach.”