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We’re busy on the frontlines of democracy as we welcome the fall! We have marked our calendars for major events, expanded our PB family in Greensboro and New York, and reflected on past work with one of our youngest delegates!
Join us at the By the People Conference
PBP isn’t holding our own conference this year, but we are convening a stream of sessions on PB at the Arizona State University (ASU) conference By the People: Participatory Democracy, Civic Engagement and Citizenship Education! We will be joined by PB supporters, researchers, academics, students, and public officials to discuss how to improve PB’s ability to reach marginalized populations and speak to local community needs. We hope you can join us!
When: December 3-5, 2015
Read more about the event on our blog
Palo Alto College opens PB to students
Palo Alto College, a community college in San Antonio, is expanding its participatory budgeting process. Representatives from Palo Alto came to our conference in 2013 and were so inspired that they started a PB process for faculty and staff. In 2015, they’re opening the process to students. See below for an update on the first community college PB process in the US!
Seattle is Hiring a PB Coordinator!
The City of Seattle is hiring a temporary Project Coordinator to oversee the city’s first year of youth participatory budgeting, launching this fall! The position will run from November 2015 through June 2016, and will be instrumental in ensuring the pilot stays on track and on time – coordinating and planning multiple public meetings, working closely with community groups and City departments, facilitating the overall process and providing other strategic and communications support for the pilot.
Please click here for more information on how to apply, and send out to your networks if you know someone who would be a great fit.
Meet our New Staff!
Get inspired and read about how our new staff came to learn about participatory budgeting. Melissa Appleton (East Coast Project Manager), Ranata Reeder (Greensboro Community Engagement Coordinator), and Erica democracy through PB. We interviewed each of them to learn more about their passion for community engagement.
PB Grows in Long Beach, CA
Southern California is not only home to palm trees and beautiful waterside views, it is also where a new cycle of PB is kicking off – in the city of Long Beach! Neighborhood Assemblies started this past weekend in the Ninth Council District and will run through early November. Live in the area and want to see PB in action? RSVP for an assembly or sign up as a volunteer! Stay tuned for upcoming assembly dates in the First Council District.
PB Long Beach, the first participatory budgeting process in Southern California, started in 2014 under Ninth District Councilmember Rex Richardson with $250,000 of his discretionary funds. The Ninth District vote last March had the highest turnout per capita for a US PB process and funded park improvements, public information, and public safety upgrades. This year, Council Member Lena Gonzalez from District 1 will also be doing a full PB cycle with assemblies starting later this fall.
In the News:
New York City Online PB Map Launches
Take a look at the interactive Idea Collection Map that PBNYC has launched for 2015-16, which collects PB proposals from residents in the twenty-seven participating Council Districts. With $35 million of public money being allocated for participatory budgeting, it’s time for you to share your proposals!
Anyone can post their ideas, just follow the guidelines! Ideas must be submitted by November 16th, 2015.
More PB in News:
- Open Society Foundations lift up Participatory Budgeting as a key way to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals – check out this short video featuring our work and partners in NYC and Boston!
- The Times Herald highlights new projects for the third PB Vallejo vote – Vallejo residents set to vote on numerous PB cycle 3 projects
- Mikva Challenge shares more inspiring work with youth in Chicago – Youth engage with PB process and facilitate $1 million of the 49th Ward in Chicago
Upcoming Events:
- October 24, Vallejo (CA): PB Vallejo Waterfront Expo and Vote Launch (12-4pm)
- October 28, Los Angeles: Equity Summit Panel on Inclusive Governance – talk by Maria Hadden (1pm)
- November 11, New York City: Learning Democracy: Participatory Economics and Higher Education – talk by Josh Lerner (7pm)
With love and democracy,
Participatory Budgeting Project
We’re a non-profit organization that empowers people to decide together how to spend public money.
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Want to introduce your friends to PB? Start here by watching the 4-minute, award-winning video “Real Money, Real Power” to learn about how PB works to empower local residents!
Our work is only possible due to generous support of individuals, public funding, and our foundation partners:
