NYC Civic Engagement Commission
 
 
NYC Civic Engagement Commission

JUNE HIGHLIGHTS

PUBLIC HEARING
The Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) held a public hearing proposing rules to set forth a minimum age requirement of 11 for participation in the citywide participatory budget program. Read more about the final certification.


JUNE PRIMARY - GET OUT THE VOTE
Volunteers had the opportunity to participate through neighborhood canvassing and multilingual peer-to-peer text banking to share information about the June Primary and about the CEC’s poll site language interpretation services. In partnership with the Mayor's Office of Public Engagement Unit (PEU), we were able to engage with hundreds of residents and businesses across New York City.

Six diverse volunteers standing in front of storefront  with artistic painting of man of color in the background.  They are each holding outreach palm cards distributed during canvassing with information on voter rights, key election dates, and information on the CEC's poll site services. 

In partnership with The Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC), Bay Ridge Community Development Center, and Arab American Association New York we also shared election information and poll site services to hundreds of Arabic-speaking New Yorkers!

Four women are seated at two tables.  One table with literature has a blue table cloth that says 'Arab-American Family Support Center.'  The other table cloth with outreach materials is orange and says 'NYC Civic Engagement Commission' with diverse drawings of New Yorkers and the word 'hello' translated into multiple languages underneath the graphics.

CITYWIDE PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING

This fall we are launching NYC’s first ever citywide Participatory Budgeting process! Residents across the 5 boroughs will be able to decide how to spend $5 million of public funding. To kick-off Phase 1, we released an application where groups, entities, and organizations can apply for funding to hold Idea Generation Sessions in their communities. The deadline to apply has been extended! Apply by July 15th: http://on.nyc.gov/citywidepb

A blue and white digital banner  with speech bubbles with a heart, thumbs up, and elipses as well as a graphic drawing of a person with their hand to their ear gesturing that they are listening.  The banner reads 'Citywide Participatory Budgeting Request for Information (RFI).'  The graphic shares the response deadline date of July 15, 2022 and the link to the application at on.nyc.gov/citywidepb.

POLL SITE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE

During the Primary Election in June 2022, we were able to offer interpretation services in the following languages to limited English proficient voters at a total of 100 polling locations: Russian, Haitian Creole, Yiddish, Polish, Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese/Mandarin, French, Korean, Urdu, and Italian.

Three CEC poll site language interpreters on site during an election day outside of a poll site seated at a table with an orange tablecloth which says 'NYC Civic Engagement Commission' with diverse drawings of New Yorkers and the word 'hello' translated into multiple languages underneath the graphics.

JUNETEENTH IN QUEENS

The Juneteenth in Queens celebration took place at Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans on Sunday, June 19, 2022. This community-led collaboration commemorated 156 years of Black Liberation since the last enslaved people in Galveston, TX were freed. The CEC was honored to be a part of this event and to work with local Queens communities, partners, businesses, and vendors to highlight this important moment in our nation's history. 

CEC staff and volunteers standing adjacent to an inflatable tent in Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans, NY.

THE ARAB-AMERICAN FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER (AAFSC) COMMUNITY RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY

The Arab American Family Support Center (AAFSC) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, July 7th, at MS 217 to celebrate two community gardens in Queens that were created through the NYC Civic Engagement Commission’s participatory budgeting process. AAFSC led this garden revitalization project in partnership with NYC's Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE), the NYC Civic Engagement Commission, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Safe Zone Cross Culture Youth. The ceremony marked the official launch of the gardens' public use and recognized the importance and success of community-oriented, racial-equity-focused enrichment initiatives working to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color and its lingering ramifications, and health disparities. The gardens will address food insecurity in Briarwood and serve as a venue for food-system education and community gatherings.

AAFSC, NYC Civic Engagement Commission and NYC Racial Justice Commission staff along with community leaders standing together for a join celebratory photo after the ribbon cutting ceremony.

UPCOMING EVENTS

PUBLIC MEETING

The Civic Engagement Commission will hold our next  virtual open public meeting on Wednesday, July 26th, 2022 11:00am.


AUGUST PRIMARY ELECTION

Graphic with navy blue background and white lettering sharing dates for the August Primary elections: August 13-21 for Early Voting and August 23 for Election Day.  It also shared what is on the ballot: The U.S. House of Representatives and NYS Senate offices. The NYC Civic Engagement Commission logo in white is centered at the bottom adjacent to a graphic of three people holding up signs that say 'vote.'

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

light blue background with NYC Civic Engagement Commission logo in black at the top flush left.  The text reads 'Get Involved: Civic Engagement Opportunities' and invites the public to join the CEC by signing up to volunteer for citywide participatory budgeting, poll site interpretation, or voter participation at on.nyc.gov/cecvolunteer.

Follow us on social media and learn about our programs on our website: https://linktr.ee/NYCCEC

 

 

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