Voting for Participatory Budgeting, the NYC program where residents vote on how to allocate $1.5 million in funding for projects conceived and pitched by locals, will take place between March 30th – April 7th. Here’s the list of District 33 poll sites.

There are two ballots to vote for three out of seven expense projects ($20,000 total) and five out of nine capital projects ($1.5 million total).

According to NYC Council Member Stephen Levin’s Participatory Budgeting website, expense and capital projects are as follows: 

Expense Projects

1) North Brooklyn Neighbors
Count North Brooklyn! – An Accurate 2020 Census
A campaign to dispel myths and increase responsiveness so that representation and funding are equitably distributed.
$10,000

Count North Brooklyn! will be a comprehensive public awareness campaign about the importance of the 2020 Census and will connect longtime residents and those that live in the thousands of new residences that have come on-line in the past decade. Through a combination of public events, informational materials in multiple languages, dedicated website posts, presentations, social media campaigns, and other programs, 

 In 2020, the federal government will conduct its decennial census. The census data is used to reapportion congressional seats, provide guidance for political districts at the federal, state, and local levels, and help determine the annual allocation of more than $800 billion federal funds. During Census 2010 Brooklyn faced a significant under-count. Low census form mail-in return rate is a major contributor to the under-count in Brooklyn.

 In District 33, thirty of its 31 census tracts in Greenpoint and Williamsburg were identified as “hard to count” – tracts with return rates in the bottom 20% nationally. The under-count significantly impacted services and resources in North Brooklyn. North Brooklyn Neighbors will work to dispel myths, answer questions, and build enthusiasm in order to increase community response rates and get an accurate count.

2) Williamsburgh Library, 240 Division Avenue
More Books for Williamsburgh Library
Help buy up to 200 more  books for the collection at this great resource for all Williamsburg residents.
$5,000

Who doesn’t want more books! This money will help expand the collection with new books and books that the community wants. Reading is crucial for everyone young and old and libraries are getting used more and more even in the age of social media. Help young and old alike discover new worlds and learn more about our world through the beauty of reading.

Williamsburgh Library was designed in a classical revival style, its floorplan meant to evoke an open book, with two wings radiating from the center atrium. At 26,000 square feet, the library is one of Brooklyn’s largest. In 2006, the branch became a designated landmark of New York City.

Williamsburgh Library is a satellite location of 826 NYC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their writing skills.

3) Daughtry Day Care Center, 565 Baltic Street
Inter-Generational Partnerships
Kids and seniors from all walks of life together building respect and lifting horizons for everyone.
$10,000

This initiative is based on the Center’s experience and statistical data, which demonstrates that many grandparents or older adults are raising young children, because of the rise in drug abuse, incarceration and HIV/AIDS in the communities we serve.  Frequently, these are children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic or their parents are unable to care for them due to illness, incarceration or substance abuse.  The Center’s “parenting grandparents” will play a key role in identifying the needs to be addressed by the resources through individual interviews and focus groups.

The Alonzo A. Daughtry Memorial Day Care Center, Inc., will enlist the active participation of grandparents of enrolled children.  The project will also recruit older volunteer  adults from Senior Citizen programs and churches and coordinate with the programs and churches regarding hours and transportation.  Participants will volunteer to read to children, tell stories and assist the teaching staff.  Children will see older adults making a positive contribution to their daily life and will begin to value them as productive members of society.  Older adults will have the opportunity to make a meaningful and structured contribution to young members of the community and experience the vitality of the children and the Center’s energetic environment.  For senior citizen’s who do not regularly have contact with children, this volunteer experience can reduce the isolation experienced by many seniors.

4) Automotive High School, 50 Bedford Avenue
Teaching Creativity with Digital Tools
Training for teachers to use 21st Century tools, design thinking, & project-based learning in our Public Schools
$10,000

Make: STEAM has been developing the foundation for this project over the past 4 years, collaborating with Automotive HS Art Teacher Mr. Toromoreno on shadow puppets with electronic control in 2014, producing the STEAM WORKS Festival of Curiosity at Automotive HS in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, producing the panel discussion on the Future of Vocational Education at Automotive HS and bringing STEAM projects to local Middle Schools on behalf of Automotive HS in 2018. Make: STEAM currently operates Automotive HS’s TinkerLab, where students engage in student-directed learning using digital and traditional fabrication techniques. Make: STEAM also collaborates with Automotive HS teachers on hands-on, integrated curricula to enhance student learning. This funding will help us further expand the program to benefit more students.

5) Gowanus Canal Conservancy
NYCHA Gardening Project w/ GCC
GCC, residents and the afterschool program will partner to enhance and expand garden plots using new tools & materials. Wyckoff Gardens, Gowanus Houses, Warren St.
$10,000

Gowanus Canal Conservancy will work with the community to enhance and expand garden plots and host inter-generational gardening events at NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) Wyckoff Gardens through a partnership with resident leaders and the afterschool program run by the Wyckoff Gardens Cornerstone Program. Residents from Wyckoff Gardens, Warren Houses, and Gowanus Houses are all invited to participate to learn and share gardening best-practices. The funds will provide for gardening tools, materials, relationship building, gardening workshops, and technical support. The project aims to provide opportunities and resources for residents to engage with the environment, share skills between young and old, and make a positive impact on the outdoor areas of the campus.

Gowanus Canal Conservancy is dedicated to facilitating the development of a resilient, vibrant, open space network centered on the Gowanus Canal through activating and empowering community stewardship.

6) Friends Of Thomas Greene Park
Gowanus Grind & EXPO Gowanus
Bring our communities together for the park’s future.  Students, skateboarders and families join to celebrate our park.
$5,000

Friends of Thomas Greene Park  (FOTGP) has held Gowanus Grind for 10 years and EXPO Gowanus for 2 years. Our mission is bringing neighboring communities together to shape a common vision for the park’s future.  These 2 combined events bring students, skateboarders, families, and adults who use the park together. The FoTGP continues to foster new, creative partnerships among communities and with the public and private sectors.

7) Krakus Senior Center, 176 Java Street
Pictures for Seniors
Provide a pro-photo printer for seniors to take home mementos from special occasions.
$5,000  

 Krakus Senior Center serves over 160 people daily.  We conduct many activities such as fitness classes, art classes, trips, choir and more. Each event is documented by the staff using photo camera and/ or video recording. Seniors cherish those memories and they always like to share them with their families and friends. Many of them ask to have those pictures printed because they want to show them to their loved ones. We do have a printer that allows us to print pictures for seniors but the quality of it is not so great. Seniors involvement in creating and editing will be beneficial for their well-being and mental exercise.

Capital Projects

1) Dock Street School, 19 Dock Street
New Laptop Carts for Middle School
Help purchase six new laptop carts for grades 6-8, STEAM oriented technology
$200,000            

The Dock Street School provides a rigorous college preparatory education for grades 6-8 with a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering, the arts and math (STEAM). Our goal is to foster curiosity, independence and problem solving in young people so that they are able to adapt to an ever-changing and complex world. Students engage through an authentic STEAM curriculum and work closely with cultural partners in order to develop a deep appreciation for creativity and innovation. The Dock Street School provides an enriched academic experience that develops critical thinking skills for our leaders of tomorrow.

2) P.S. 31, 75 Meserole Avenue
New Smart Boards for P.S. 31
Provide state of the art smart boards to upgrade the educational opportunities for these elementary school students.
$225,000

At PS 31, parents take pride in their schools longstanding reputation for solid academics and old-fashioned values. The school is an orderly place where children are primed to follow the rules, but the environment is pleasant and instruction has moved away from very traditional methods.

Located in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, PS 31’s student body has shifted over time, but not as dramatically as in rapidly gentrifying areas such as nearby Williamsburg. The school attracts middle class families new to the area, but continues to serve many low-income families.

3) P.S. 307, 209 York Street
A/V Upgrades at P.S. 307
Give a much needed upgrade to this community used auditorium with new audio and visual equipment.
$300,000

The mission of P.S. 307 is to prepare students to meet all elementary school academic standards for proficiency and to foster the development of strong character. We believe a nurturing, well structured and rigorous education in the core curriculum and the arts provides children with an understanding of the world and how it works, and mastery of those math, literacy and higher order thinking skills necessary for success in a rapidly changing and highly competitive world.  We believe that a well rounded education in the language arts, math, science, social studies, the arts and service learning will enable our students to grow both intellectually and socially.  We envision all of our students achieving academic and personal excellence

4) Automotive High School, 50 Bedford Avenue
Make STEAM
Increase creativity & opportunity for public school students by infusing the curriculum with cutting-edge skills & tools
$350,000

These tools will allow students to create high-quality artifacts to demonstrate their learning, while building community through shared knowledge, teamwork and creative engagement. Exposure to Industrial Arts practices will identify new skills and interests and give insight and purpose to studies in Geometry, History, and Science. Exposure to Digital tools will offer high-impact applications for Math and Computer Science in creating quality virtual and physical objects. Through non-profit partner Make: STEAM, Automotive High School teachers will have support to create Labs that integrate curriculum subjects, reinforcing understanding through engaging student interest and applying knowledge across the curricula.

5) Van Arsdale H.S. Campus, 257 North 6th St
Weight Room Renovations
Provide a safe, clean and new weight room for over 1,800 students to get physically fit.
$500,000

The Harry Van Arsdale High School Campus is in need of upgrades to weight room infrastructure and equipment that would render this facility usable and safe to use. The campus houses three public high schools: the Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design, Williamsburg Preparatory High School, and Brooklyn Preparatory High School. Between the schools, 1,788 students use the weight room for physical education classes to meet credits required to graduate (as per New York State law), and 14 campus-based Public School Athletic League (PSAL) sports teams use the room for after school workouts so to train in preparation for games against other campus teams across the city.

Because of obsolete equipment, and inappropriate protective infrastructure in the room, the students and teams are unable to maximize use of the room. Instruction in physical education has also been severely impacted by lack of functional equipment, and PSAL teams experience limited workouts as compared to other campuses with functional weight rooms. The inherent restrictions of the weight room and the current conditions of the room affect the morale of the students.

6) I.S. 318, 101 Walton Street
Renovated Library for Better Learning
Make a better library for students to enjoy reading and studying. New Shelves and desks.
$250,000

The IS 318 library is badly in need of modernization.  A school of over 1200 students deserves to have a modern space to support the literacy needs of our diverse student population. A library update will allow our students to study in a more flexible, collaborative and fun spaces.  Our library upgrade will allow more flexible space, increased access to technology, more power and flexible seating for collaboration and creativity.  

7) PS 38 The Pacific School, 450 Pacific Street
Renovate Bathrooms for Elementary School
Renovate four bathrooms, 2 girls and 2 boys, to provide clean and sanitary facilities.
$400,000

At PS38, the Pacific School, we are requesting support for urgently-needed renovations to our elementary school bathrooms. We have an amazing school filled with great resources, teachers and staff, but our plumbing is in terrible shape. Many of our facilities either don’t work or partially work. Our children deserve a sanitary, functional and clean set of washrooms that matches the high quality of our school.  This is more than worthwhile, it is essential.

8) Vinegar Hill Community Garden Enhancements
199 York Street
Add water and electrical supply to this popular garden to make the growing easier and more productive for all.
$300,000

The Vinegar Hill Community Garden respectfully requests funding to install much needed water and electrical connections. These funds will help the garden thrive throughout the year. Water is crucial to health of the plants and underlying soil, especially during the hot New York City summers. An electric connection would allow for modernization, lighting and aid in cleanup efforts. Our Garden serves the Vinegar Hill neighborhood, Farragut Houses and surrounding areas. It’s enjoyed and maintained by both adults and children alike.  We never turn anyone away. We ask this project be funded so the garden can continue serving, educating and providing much needed green space to the community.

9) Around P.S. 380, 370 Marcy Avenue
Safety First around P.S. 380
Provide shorter and safer crossings at 4 intersections: Wallabout Street, Lynch Street, Lorimer Street and Union Street.
$300,000

 There is nothing scarier for a little kid then having to cross a busy street on the way to school. This intersection gets used by students and pedestrians through out the neighborhood. Help us make everyone safer by putting in traffic calming methods at these four intersections