NLC highlights Boston youth-budgeting project

Boston Youth Zone, a program launched by former Mayor Tom Menino in late 2013, is showcased in an article on the National League of Cities’ website.

The article, written by Stephanie Killiam, an intern for the NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education and Families, is posted on citiesspeak.org, the NLC’s blog.

The Boston Youth Council encouraged youths and young adults to take part in deciding how to spend $1 million out of the city’s $2.6 billion budget for fiscal 2014.

In deciding how to deploy the $1 million – or 3.8 percent of the budget – community members were encouraged to generate ideas, and the youth volunteers translated the ideas into project proposals. The projects that received the most votes were funded.

For six days in June, Boston residents age 12 to 25 were encouraged to vote for projects in each of four categories: Streets and Safety; Parks, Environment and Health; Community and Culture; and Education.

The projects that received funding included the following:
• $400,000 to upgrade a playground and picnic area in Franklin Park
• $60,000 for “art wall” murals
• $90,000 for Chromebook laptop computers for high schools in East Boston, Charlestown and South Boston
• $50,000 for a skate park facility
• $110,000 for security cameras in a park
• $100,000 for a makeover of a city playground
• $105,000 for sidewalks for new parks