Gabriella Cabrera

Gabriella Cabrera is a Government teacher at West Point High School in the Tolleson Union High School District. As the School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) sponsor, she is passionate about civic engagement and creating meaningful, real-world learning experiences for her students. Known for her dedication to education, Gabriella empowers young people to think critically, lead with purpose, and actively shape their communities.

Amplifying Student Voice for Stronger School Communities

Students and families are most impacted by school and district budgeting decisions yet are often not authentically engaged in decision-making processes that impact their school community. School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) offers a powerful way to engage students and families while helping students build civic skills and learn democracy by doing. With support from community partnerships and school leaders, students lead a democratic process to decide how to spend a portion of their school or district budget.

Join the Center for the Future of Arizona and ASU’s Participatory Governance Initiative to explore the impact of SPB on civic learning, community-wide engagement, and opportunities to pilot SPB on K–12 campuses across Arizona. SPB’s approach to closing the civic opportunity gap positions students as authentic contributors to their school community and fosters the propensity for long-term civic engagement.