With a new mayor in office are you feeling inspired to participate in city government? Want to get involved in your community but don't know how?

You may have heard of community boards—New York City's most local form of government—but might be a little fuzzy on the details. How do community boards work? What's their role in government? How do they interact with elected officials and city agencies? What can you do with a community board? If you want to learn more, take a look at Now Boarding, our new short film on community boards and decision-making at the community level.

The project was a collaboration of CUP teaching artist Dillon de Give, students from International Community High School in the Bronx, and CUP staff. The film walks you through what a community board does with street interviews, claymation animations, and a visit to a real-life Bronx community board meeting.

On January 22nd 2014, the students discussed the process that led to Now Boarding’s creation and interviewed longtime community activist (and community board member) Damaris Reyes on the role of community boards in land-use decision-making.