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Get Ready: The CENSUS is coming!

The Census is coming. Are you ready?

The 2020 census is THE most important thing that will happen this year. Why you ask? The data collected during the census will help determine Congressional districting and federal funding levels for housing, healthcare, transportation, employment, and public education for the next ten years. With $675 Billion in federal funding at stake, it’s crucial that we get a fair and accurate count of every person.

The 2010 count came up short.

An estimated 1 million pre-school aged children were undercounted during the last census. Those children are in our public schools now, and our schools are not receiving the federal funding allotment for them. Undercounting our children, especially our pre-school children, is a costly mistake that we cannot afford.

How can we make sure that every child is counted?

We need every family to fill out their census form. Filling out the census is safe and confidential. Federal law protects your census responses. The information you provide can only be used to compile statistics. Your information may not be shared with immigration or law enforcement agencies, and it may not be used to determine your eligibility for government benefits.

How and when will the Census take place?

Census forms will be mailed to every US address beginning on March 1, 2020. You can complete your census using the standard mail-in form, you can complete it online at www.2020census.gov, or you can complete it by phone. Beginning April 9, In-Field Address Canvassers will begin door-to-door canvassing of residences that have not yet responded to the census. These In-Field Address Canvassers will be available to assist you in person if you have trouble filling out your census.

How can educators get involved?

Participate in SIS Week: As teachers, you can educate children and parents about the importance of the 2020 Census. You can be part of the national Get Out the Count movement by participating in Statistics in Schools week, March 2 - 6. Visit https://www.census.gov/schools to find materials and activities you can use in your classroom. Now’s the time to plan ahead. How will you teach your students about the census?

Enter the SIS Sweepstakes for a chance to win $500: Kentucky Youth Advocates is excited to announce the second Statistics in Schools Sweepstakes, a free and easy way for Kentucky teachers to help their school win $500 by using the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools (SIS) materials during the Bureau’s SIS Week (March 2-6, 2020). Four $500 checks will be given to winning schools – one for a Preschool/Kindergarten program, one for grades 1-5, one for grades 6-8, and one for grades 9-12. An additional $500 prize will be awarded to a Jefferson County public school that utilizes the Bureau’s ELL materials. All you have to do to enter is submit photos or videos of your students using the SIS materials during SIS Week (March 2-6, 2020).

Be a Census Ambassador: Census Ambassadors promote the 2020 Census and network with other educators to help them understand how to use the SIS materials and participate in Statistics in Schools week. Kentucky is still looking for Census Ambassadors. Find out how to become an Ambassador by emailing CLMSO.SISambassador@census.gov.

For more information as it becomes available, follow us on the VOTE blog at https://edvotejcta.com/we-count-kentucky/.