FFW (4 min): If you had $2,000 to spend, how would you improve our school community for the largest number of students? (List as many examples as possible)
NYC Participatory Budgeting Process
Vocabulary
Participatory Budgeting: “A democratic process where community members decide how to spend a shared budget.”
Preamble of the Constitution:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Discussion: How do these concepts connect? Do you see any potential issues or challenges?
Guided Practice (10 min)
Roles in Groups
Facilitator:
Leads the discussion.
Ensures everyone participates.
Note-Taker:
Records group decisions.
Budget Calculator:
Tracks spending and ensures it stays under $2,000.
Presenter:
Explains group decisions to the class.
Step #1 - Identify a school community need experienced by many students that is not currently being met. Why is this "need" important? Whom does it affect? Why does it affect so many students? Why do you think it has not been solved yet?
Step #2 - Explain in detail HOW a $2,000 budget will enable our school community to meet the need you outlined in Step #1. How quickly will the solution you propose help meet the need? Which students, specifically, will be helped in the short term (this year) and the long term (years to come)?
Step #3 - What resources, including TIME, are needed to make your proposal a reality, in addition to the $2,000 budget? Which adults need to be involved? How will this be sustainable over time? What happens if the people in your group lose interest? How will you keep this project going, generationally, from one Bard Bronx class to the next?
Bard W&T "Believing and Doubting"
FFW (4 min, 8 sentences):
Believing: "My proposal for ________ is the best use of $2,000 to improve our school"
Write a statement as though you believe this quote.
If you feel a little stuck, think of yourself as a politician who is writing a campaign statement about this topic. You need accessible, memorable talking points for voters to believe you.
FFW (4 min, 8 sentences):
Doubting: "My proposal for ________ is the best use of $2,000 to improve our school"
Write a statement as though you doubt this quote.
If you feel a little stuck, think of yourself as a politician running against the person who makes this slogan central to their campaign. You need accessible, memorable talking points for voters to agree with you.
Share out: What are potential issues or challenges with your proposal?
Next Steps: Voting on Proposals
Discuss: What criteria should we include for our evaluation rubric?
Exit Ticket (Google Classroom)
FFW (5 min; 10 sentences): How does participatory budgeting connect to democratic decision-making? (a system of government in which laws, policies, leadership, and major undertakings of a state or other polity are directly or indirectly decided by “we, the people”)
or
FFW (5 min; 10 sentences): “How does this process show democracy in action?” and “One thing I learned about budgeting and democracy is…”