Check out these awesome & informational videos made by the PB Youth Committee:

PB Youth: Introduction to the PB Process from Ilana Cohen on Vimeo.

PB Youth: Introduction to the PB Youth Committee in District 39 from Ilana Cohen on Vimeo.

PB Youth: Get Out the Vote from Ilana Cohen on Vimeo.

PB Youth 2017-18: The Next Cycle

The PB Youth Committee in District 39 met at Council Member Lander's 

office on Monday, August 21st to plan for the new PB cycle.

Welcome back to the PB Youth Blog - Cycle 7!

As you all know, the next PB Youth Meeting will take place tomorrow: Thursday, September 28th from 6:00-7:30pm. It will take place at the Windsor Terrace Library (160 E 5th St, Brooklyn, NY 11218). Please note the change of location!

Recap from the Last Meeting...

After formalizing our PB Youth Committee Pledge outlining both the individual and group responsibilities of PB Youth, committee members discussed expanding the role of PB Youth for the next cycle. Members considered what projects to focus on, such as outreach to middle schools now that the voting age has been lowered to 11+ years old. The committee also began planning an Idea Collection Day of Action in which teens would run youth-oriented idea collection pop-up sites around the district, the tentative date for which is Sunday, October 8th.

PB Youth 2017-18...

Some of the goals agreed upon for the PB Youth Committee's work this year were to...

• Promote PB online through social media platforms and initiatives.
• Generate flyers and other branded content for the PB process.
• Coordinate a get-out-the-vote (GOTV) initiative that's student-specific.  
• Volunteer at District 39 PB events (neighborhood assemblies, etc.).

Looking forward to the Next Meeting....

During tomorrow’s meeting, we will be making short videos about the PB process and why PB Youth Committee members decided to get involved. There will be snacks, so invite your friends (even if they don’t live in district 39)!

Voting and Volunteering: The PB Youth Committee's Take on Vote Week

The year's PB Vote Week added new energy and engagement to the PB process. District 39's PB Youth Committee members spent the week volunteering at various poll sites, attending PB events, and promoting PB online.
Vote Week kicked off with an event at Grad Army Plaza on Saturday, March 23rd. A weekend of preliminary poll sites was followed by a rallying Get Organized BK meeting at Congregation Beth Elohim on Monday, March 25th. Council Member Lander welcomed Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Assemblyman Robert Carroll to the stage, as well as two out-of-town city council members, Greg Casar and Helen Gym, to speak to the importance of local democracy and contuning to push for progressive policies in the face of frustrating federal politics. The meeting culminated in seminars on a range of topics relating to social justice and activism. Committee members facilitated voting after the seminars, providing a unique action for meeting participants to take after empowering dialogues on political engagement.
"The neighborhood benefits not only from the [PB] projects, but also from the ability of everyone to meaningfully contribute, which was on full display at the voting sites," says Paul Broderick, who volunteered at the ChiPS shelter.
Chris Stauffer attended the first major event of Vote Week in District 39, the PB Expo, on Wednesday, March 25th to help organize voting. Projects were displayed in science fair-like fashion with colorful presentation boards to attract potential voters and show district residents what project implementation would look like. "The PB expo tonight was an amazing experience! Throughout the entire night, all of the project leaders presented their projects, and around 100 people voted, including many teenagers," recalls Chris.
Vote Weekend culminated in an action-packed weekend of pop-up voting. Ilana Cohen and Eliza Callahan spent Saturday at the Park Slope Library, where they welcomed visitors with PB ballots and voter affidavits in hand. By coincidence, the library was holding a book sale that day, which garnered not only a greater number of voters, but also a broader age-range of voters. The committee members were glad to see students their own age partaking in the process.
"Volunteering for PB Vote Week was a great way for me to become involved in my local community and get to know my neighbors and their concerns," explains Eliza.
"The best part about running the PB poll site was seeing people who were new to PB vote for the first time. Some people were unsure of whether they lived in the district or not and who their city council member was but even so, they took the time to learn about the PB process and cast their ballot," recalls Ilana Cohen. "That type of civic engagement is unique to local democracy, and it's a reminder that the power of voting--of having a voice--is not confined to federal politics."
"The vote engages not only those who come out specifically to vote, but also people who have never even heard of PB," adds Paul.
Ahnaf Bin Mahbub volunteered at P.S. 230. He says he had a great experience: "I was able to meet new people in my community and understand the different perspectives residents have about the neighborhood."
"We got a good amount of people to vote--we used up our ballots," says Claire, who did pop up voting at Greenwood Park. "I was also surprised to see the amount of people who said they had already voted online. And [many] had head of PB...whether they already voted online or had been meaning to get to it and were grateful we gave them the chance!"
The members are eager to continue their work in the next PB cycle and expand the committee's membership. Many are reflecting upon this year's GOTV efforts and considering potential improvements for the next PB cycle.
"PB was a great new experience. It really opened my eyes up to what I could do to contribute to my community through local government," says Lara Schuman. "I hope to become more involved next year in spreading the word about PB."

Check out the gallery below from Vote Week:

Park Slope Library

Power to the Students: Meet the PB Youth Committee Members

    

The PB Youth Committee reconvened at the Office of City Council Member Lander to plan GOTV efforts. 

     On Thursday, March 2nd, the PB Youth Committee met at the Office of City Council Member Brad Lander with a clear agenda: to get out the vote!

     The PB Youth Committee has leapt into action in the final month before Vote Week, the exciting culmination of the District 39's sixth PB Cycle. Youth members, serving as PB Youth Ambassadors to their respective schools and neighborhoods, are tapping into post-election sentiment, using PB as a platform by which to empower students and show that there is no age requirement necessary to effect change. Regardless of possessing the ability to vote in state or federal elections, teens can make a difference in their communities. And, of course, when national politics become increasingly frustrating, local democracy provides an essential means for many to have their voices heard.

     Meet the PB Youth Ambassadors of the PB Youth Committee below:

Ilana Cohen

Ilana Cohen is a junior at The Beacon School and a resident of Park Slope. She pursues her passion for government and public policy as a leader of her school's Model UN and Model Congress clubs, and her passion for journalism as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper The Beacon Beat. After working on youth outreach for the District 39 PB process as an intern at the Office of City Council Member Brad Lander last year, Ilana was appointed to her current role in the District Committee and helped found the PB Youth Committee.

"What amazes me most about the PB process is its inclusivity. The requirements for voter eligibility for PB are much more open than those for state and federal elections, giving many city residents who would otherwise never be able to cast a vote the opportunity to have their voices heard. This capability to empower is one that I feel is so ingrained in the work of the PB Youth Committee, which I hope will show teens around the district that they are not powerless in the chaos of the post-election political climate--that they have the ability to effect real change right now."

Chris Stuaffer

Chris Stauffer is a junior at Bard High School Early College in Manhattan and is from Park Slope. As a co-chair of the Youth Progressive Policy Group, Chris pursues his passion for expanding youth engagement in public policy and government. He also is on the leadership team of his school's Model UN team and is a captain of the track and field team. Chris became interested in PB last summer when he worked in Council Member Brad Lander's office, and is now dedicated to getting more youth involved in the process through the PB Youth Committee.

"I love the idea of allowing the community to decide what they need most--[PB] allows for everyone's voices to be heard. This process allows so many more people to get involved in their community, and help improve the quality of life for everyone!"

Eliza Callahan

Eliza Callahan is a junior at The Beacon School and lives in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. She is a member of the Beacon Reads book club and pursues dance outside of school. Eliza started working with the PB Youth Committee in 2016 after hearing about the amazing projects PB brings to the local community.

"I think the best part of PB is the sense of leadership it gives to youth. Teens work together with other teens and young adults to create and fund projects to better their own community. PB allows students to really show the community what they care about and their ideas for how to make [the district] a cleaner and more inclusive place."

Lara Schuman

Lara Schuman is a junior at Midwood and a resident of Park Slope. In addition to being a peer tutor and a writer for Midwood's Argus, Lara is a dedicated athlete, pursuing both tae kwon do and soccer. Lara learned about PB through her friends and decided to join the PB Youth Committee this year to become more involved in the process.

"Being a part of the PB Youth Committee has allowed me to learn more about local democracy, and made me feel like more of a part of the community. I hope to help improve our neighborhoods and make a difference in the district."

Ahnaf Bin Mahbub

Ahnaf Bin Mahbub is a resident of Kensington and a senior at Al Madinah High School. He has experience in various forms of community service, ranging from phone banking for Bernie Sanders and Bill de Blasio to community street cleaning. Ahnaf enjoys his new role as a PB Youth Ambassador for the PB Youth Committee.

“For me, Participatory Budgeting is the perfect opportunity to give everybody a chance to vote. Unlike in state and federal elections, residents are able to vote with few restrictions. PB allows hidden voices to be heard and more change to develop within a community. With the comprehensiveness of PB, people of all ages--especially teenagers--have the opportunity to make a difference.”

Paul Broderick

Paul is a graduate of the Institute for Collaborative Education in Manhattan and a current freshman at NYU, where he has a major in Political Science. Raised in Kensington, Paul interned in Council Member Brad Lander’s office in the Spring of 2016, where he coordinated the volunteer workforce and GOTV efforts for that year’s PB Vote Week. He remains committed to engaging District 39 and neighboring communities in the PB process as part of the PB Youth Committee.

"How often does it seem like elected officials get themselves lost in the bureaucratic cloud of government and lose touch with some of their constituents’ most critical needs? PB allows constituents to take back command of their own tax dollars--something everyone on the political spectrum can appreciate. Most importantly, it brings local democracy back to its roots.”

Naimul Islam

Naimul Islam is currently in his last semester at Brooklyn College and resides in Kensington. He is an avid reader, poet, an activist and a youth leader for minority groups. In addition to working with several local non-profits in his community, Naimul is a facilitator for the GetOrganizedBK Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism group. He learned about Participatory Budgeting from City Council Member Brad Lander’s staff and became involved in the PB Youth Committee last year.

“The PB process gives an opportunity for neglected and underprivileged communities to curate ideas to make an impact. The youth who live in these communities are the ones who know more than anyone else about their communities' needs. PB gives them a chance to figure out the problems we face and create programs to benefit the past, the present and the future of our communities.”

Claire Foley

Claire Foley is a resident of Kensington and a student at the Bard High School Early College in Queens. In her free time, Claire takes ballet, pointe, and modern dance classes, peer tutors, and serves as a member of the World Science Academy club at her school. Claire joined the PB Youth Committee this year and is proud to serve as a PB Youth Ambassador.

"I joined the PB Youth Committee because I love my neighborhood so much that I think of it as an extension of my own home, and so I think working on improving my neighborhood with other people who also love the neighborhoods they live in is a really valuable way to spend my time. My favorite part about PB is being able to meet so many different people with so many different backgrounds, who all come together for the sole purpose of improving the community we live in."

For more info on how you can become involved in the PB Youth Committee, use the contact form on the blog to send us an email!