Long Beach youth can once again make their voices heard on how the city spends funds on community projects.

The Office of Youth Development – in partnership with The Nonprofit Partnership and Invest in Youth Coalition, anchored by Khmer Girls in Action – has announced the fourth year of Youth Power Participatory Budgeting (PB) Long Beach, a participatory budgeting process where youth vote on how to spend public funds on youth summer projects.

A total of $500,000 will be allocated through this process for projects ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, which will be voted on by youth who live, work or play in Long Beach, according to a press release. The winning proposals will be funded in summer 2026 through Measure US dollars and one-time general fund support.

“Long Beach is proud to continue investing in youth leadership,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “Through the Youth Power Participatory Budgeting process, more and more young people are learning the power of collaboration and civic engagement while leading the development of programs that make a lasting difference in their city.”

The fourth cycle of Youth Power PB will kick off with four in-person idea collection sessions held across the city, designed to ensure that youth from all neighborhoods have an opportunity to participate, officials said.

Long Beach youth only need to attend one session to submit their ideas for youth summer projects. The dates and locations for the sessions are as follows:

Thursday, Dec. 4, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center at Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave.
Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Youth Movement and Education Center, 2217 E. Sixth St.
Thursday, Dec. 11, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center at Admiral Kidd Park, 2125 Santa Fe Ave.
Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Whaley Park Community Center, 5620 E. Atherton St.

Youth Power PB Long Beach will be carried out in three phases. The first phase is idea collection, from Dec. 1 through Jan. 6, where youth ages 12 to 26 can submit ideas for projects to be funded.

The second phase is project development, in January and February, where youth steering committee members will select ideas from the pool of submissions and match them with interested Long Beach community organizations, according to a press release. These selected ideas will move on to the project development phase in March, where youth and community organizations will collaborate to turn them into full proposals for the voting ballot.

The third, and final, phase is voting. Youth throughout the city will be invited to vote on which projects should be funded. Voting will be open to youth ages 12 to 26 who live, learn, work or play in Long Beach, officials said. 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.

These opportunities allow youth to build new skills, connect with peers and take on leadership roles with real decision-making power, officials said.

Youth interested in learning more about the different ways they can participate can fill out the youth interest form for more information. Community organizations interested in engaging during the proposal development phase are encouraged to complete the organization interest form on the city’s website.

“The Youth Power Participatory Budgeting process embodies our vision of community health, where young people have both voice and influence,” said Alison King, director of the Health and Human Services Department. “This collaborative approach strengthens shared leadership, promotes well-being and ensures every young person has the opportunity to thrive.”

The third Youth Power PB cycle saw a significant increase in engagement, according to a press release, receiving over 400 project ideas, more than nine times as many submissions compared to the previous year.

A total of 1,976 youth voted across Long Beach, more than tripling voter participation compared to the previous year. The 11 selected projects focused on community care, housing, health and wellness, planning for the future, and transportation – aligning with five of the six goals outlined in the Long Beach Youth and Emerging Adults Strategic Plan, officials said.