Voting booths across the city will be available through June 16 for youth residents to vote on how the City of Boston spends $1 million of the capital budget, according to a press release.
This is the fourth year in a row that “Youth Lead the Change” has been an active in the budgeting process. Youth aged 12 to 25 are invited to participate. The program is managed by Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) Division of Youth Engagement & Employment.
The Mayor’s Youth Council partnered with youth organizations to write the voting rules and oversee the implementation of the process.
“By involving young people in this process we are cultivating a generation of Boston youth who are passionate about their city and have the opportunity to shape its future,” said Mayor Martin Walsh, according to the press release. “Young people are working together, polling their peers, and addressing the issues that matter most to them.”
Voting polls are located at local train stations, youth centers, and school buildings. One location in Jamaica Plain is the Forest Hills T Station.
This year, Boston’s youth will be voting on a variety of capital improvements:
- BPS Renovations: New lockers for Brighton High School.
- Cultural Street Art and Latin American Walk of Fame: This project would create cultural street art and a walk of fame.
- Homelessness Resources: A digital billboard displaying resources and job opportunities available to the homeless youths.
- Mobilizing Health Centers: A truck or car that provides medical materials and some outpatient services to youths.
- New trash and recycling bins.
- Future Media Center: A space that would contain recent technology that would otherwise be unavailable to most students.
- Get Home Safely: Students returning home from school and work would be provided with safe travel provided by police call poles.
- Performing and Visual Arts Center: A space where people of all ages can come together and create all types of art.
- The “Get Hired” Truck: A resource truck devoted to provide youth with the ability to search for jobs, build/modify resumes, and give them access to search and apply for jobs.
- Mobile Youth Retail Space: A mobile retail space for youth entrepreneurs.
Other projects in the past chosen for funding have included expanding Wicked Free WiFi, installing water bottle refilling stations at parks, and placing newer trash cans and recycling bins in select neighborhoods.
For more information about where to find voting stations, visit boston.gov/departments/boston-centers-youth-families/youth-lead-change.