Did you know that data from the census provide the basis for distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually, including funds for education programs such as Title I, special education, teacher training, technology, school lunch assistance, and after-school programs?
With the 2020 census rapidly approaching, we need your help more than ever to spread the word to educators in your network and your schools about the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools (SIS) program. SIS is a free educational program that uses census data to create classroom materials for grades K–12. The program currently includes more than 100 activities and resources that enhance learning in a variety of subjects such as English, history/social studies, mathematics, geography, and sociology.
New materials specifically for the 2020 census will be available for the 2019–20 school year. These activities spotlight the census and the importance of making sure everyone is counted, especially children. Materials in English and Spanish will be available for preK–12 and English-language learners, including adults.
Make Sure Your School Counts
Now that you know that a complete 2020 census count is important for funding vital school programs and services, you may be wondering how you can get involved. This fall, all superintendents and principals in the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories will receive a kit of printed materials that will help you spread the word about the SIS program to your school and teachers.
SIS educates students in every grade about the impact the census has on communities nationwide. As an educational leader, adding your voice to the 2020 census will help to shape the future of education by preparing students for future education and careers in a data-driven world. You’re also educating them about the importance of the 2020 census and having an adult in their home complete it.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools Program
How Can You Get Involved?
Encourage educators in your network to start using the SIS program by:
- Signing up for the SIS newsletter to stay up to date on all of the key events and the release of new materials
- Using our materials for Constitution Day (September 17, 2019)
- Encouraging their community to partner with the U.S. Census Bureau on a local level
- Communicating SIS messages to parents and teachers through email blasts when the school year begins
- Encouraging school participation in Statistics in Schools Week (March 2020)
- Having students take home new 2020 materials to share the message with their families this fall
- Completing the census, and telling their family, friends, and neighbors to complete it too
Make an impact today. Learn more at www.census.gov/schools.
AUTHOR BIO:
Kimberley Glascoe is a marketing specialist within the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools branch. She has been in the communications field for over five years, with degrees in print journalism and public relations.
Photo Credit: U.S. Census Bureau