$700,000 Spent How YOU Want It.

Youth Voice, Youth Choice is a new Participatory Budgeting (PB) Initiative from the City of Seattle. Focusing on engaging people who have historically not been involved in government, PB is a democratic process where community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget.

Youth Voice, Youth Choice involves four steps. First, community members will come up with ideas for public projects they would like to see in their communities. Second, youth volunteers will turn those ideas into concrete proposals with support from the Department of Neighborhoods and City staff. Third, Seattle youth will vote for the projects they would like to see implemented in their communities. Fourth, the winning projects will be funded and implemented by the City of Seattle and other local agencies.

The City will kick off the process by holding public idea assemblies to brainstorm ideas for potential projects with community members of all ages. These are the assemblies scheduled for across the city:

Wednesday, February 3rd from 3 - 5pm at UW Ethnic Cultural Center, Unity Room
Thursday, February 4th from 4 - 6pm at the Greenwood Public Library
Tuesday, February 9th from 3:30 - 5:30pm at Douglass-Truth Public Library
Wednesday, February 10th from 4 - 6pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
Thursday, February 18th from 3:30 - 5:30pm at New Holly Gathering Hall
Tuesday, February 23rd from 5 - 7pm at Seattle Center, Armory Loft Room #2

Can't attend an Idea Assembly to share your thoughts on what to do with $700,000 of the City budget? Community members of any age can suggest project ideas online. Simply post your idea on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the hashtag #YouthVoiceSea.

For other ways to get involved, visit www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/youth-participatory-budgeting.