In Estonia, participatory budgeting has been implemented for many years, for example in Tartu. A small part of the budget is set aside and ideas for the use of the budget can be submitted by everyone. The various concepts will eventually be put to the vote, giving the people in the town the opportunity to have a say in the development of the town. Through this process, people gain experience of direct democracy and a better understanding of how the town’s budget works.
We are now implementing the same idea among young people – initially in two schools, for the grades 5-12. The project is inspired by the 2019 pilot project carried out by TI Lithuania, which resulted in eight times more students understanding how the school budget works and three times more students understanding how to participate in school decision-making processes. 7 out of 10 students would like to continue to have a say in the school’s budget.