Teen Change-Makers: The Beginning of the First PB Youth Committee in District 39

At the first PB Youth Committee meeting, teens discussed what project ideas seemed worth pursuing in the PB process. 

     On Monday, October 24th, a group of local teens, District Committee members, and community activists gathered in the Kensington Library to discuss potential project proposals in the first meeting of this year’s PB Youth Committee. The formation of the first PB Youth Committee in District 39 is not only symbolic of PB's increasing popularity and success across the district, but is an emblem of the youth voice that has long been missing from the process. Now, a group of engaged high school and college students are eager to contribute to their communities through focusing their work in PB around inclusivity and diversity--hoping to unite district youth from varying backgrounds. 

The meeting began with a round of introductions, in which PB Youth Committee members shared their names, neighborhoods, and interests in the PB process. This segued into a larger discussion about the ideas proposed in the previously held PB Youth Assembly to determine which could be developed into larger PB projects. Some ideas were deemed not feasible due to logistical challenges involving the scale of the ideas and the level of dependency on city agencies needed to implement them. After eliminating the ideas that were not feasible, teens honed in ones they believed had the potential to both improve the community and meet the requirements for project development. Many voiced support for programming that could lead to the establishment of a community center-like network of courses in place of a physical community center, which could be more difficult to develop. Teens discussed what types of programs were most needed by a majority of district residents. Such programs proposed included an English-language learning course for immigrant communities, a poetry workshop, music programs at P.S. 230, a “steps to success course” for high school students, and a coding class. 

"It was exciting to hear all the ideas people from around the community had," says Chris Stauffer, a PB Youth Committee member and high school student from Park Slope. "Having the youth be involved in the [PB] process will not only allow the youth to have a voice, but [will] also allow younger people to have a direct influence in their community and see their own ideas implemented."

Committee members’ ideas reflected many of the core values of the PB process. A focus on equity, or ensuring that projects' reach extended into the different communities that comprise District 39, was prevalent throughout the meeting. Teens questioned how to best serve immigrant communities--particularly those in Kensington--that may not have as many delegates already involved in the PB process as other neighborhoods do. This also entailed an emphasis on diversity, and creating projects intended to unite district residents from different backgrounds. Even simply bringing teens from across the district together in this committee was a step towards achieving this goal. Of course, sharing youth voice was another staple of the teens' ideas. PB is a unique process in the opportunity it provides for youth to participate in local democracy, and the PB Youth Committee takes advantage of that unique opportunity in an effort to effect change through the power of youth. 

"Everyone deserves a chance to make a positive change in the world and the societies around them, but [not] everyone [gets] the opportunity to do so," says Mushfique Elahi, a PB Youth Committee member and high school student from Kensington. "PB has given me the environment to voice my own opinions and thoughts [on] what I can do for my community for the better."

Through monthly committee meetings and online communication via email and Facebook, PB Youth Committee members are not only developing project proposals that they believe will improve their communities, but are employing new means of doing so. Ideas for social media campaigns and mobilizing other high school and college students in committee members' schools and neighborhoods provide a unique channel for youth energy that can help expand the reach of the PB process. As the PB cycle continues, the PB Youth Committee promises a new kind of engagement in local democracy in the form of teens pushing for their vision of a more inclusive and connected District 39 community.