In this section
Participatory budgeting is a democratic exercise that lets citizens decide which projects will be carried out with a given portion of a public budget.
This type of management is becoming increasingly popular with municipalities. It is also producing positive results in schools and youth organizations. Young people experience democracy by taking action and see how their involvement can make a concrete difference in their community.
How it works
- The school or youth organization sets aside part of its budget for the participatory budget and commits to carrying out the project(s) chosen democratically. The amount does not need to be large: the exercise is flexible and can be adapted to different contexts.
- The school or organization forms a youth committee who will steer the various steps of the process.
- The steering committee surveys the school’s students and community members to find out what they need to improve collective well-being.
- The committee analyzes the ideas gathered and puts together concrete projects that meet the targeted needs and respect the established budget and criteria.
- The steering committee organizes a vote among students or the community to determine which project(s) will be carried out.
- The school or youth organization carries out the chosen project(s) in collaboration with the young people.
To help you get started
We provide detailed guides to help schools and youth organizations set up a participatory budget.
Do you work in a school?
Download the free discussion guide: Ideas, projects; my school, my vote (in French)
Do you work in a youth organization?
Download the free animation guide Ideas and projects for the community (in French).
You need to fill in a short online form. We use the information we collect to improve our animation guides.
In preparation for the vote, you can order ballot boxes and polling booths, as well as download a ballot paper template (PDF – in French).
Contact us
Contact us if you have any questions on how to implement a participatory budget in your community. Our team can provide you with personalized support.
Telephone: 418-644-1090, ext. 3490
Toll-free: 1-844-644-1090, ext. 3490
Email: [email protected]