2020 Census Resources

In the spring of 2020, households across the United States will be asked to participate in the census. We know that the census is critically important for a number of reasons. First, it determines how many representatives each state gets in Congress, and the results are used to redraw district boundaries. Second, communities rely on census data to make decisions about how to spend money and distribute resources. Finally, the federal government distributes more than $675 billion annually to states and communities based on Census Bureau statistics. In a nutshell, communities that are falsely underrepresented on the census because of low response rates run the risk of not having as loud of a voice in Congress and not receiving all of the funds that they are entitled to.

With so much riding on an accurate count, it is vitally important that people who are working with ABE classes help learners to understand what the census is and why they should respond. Quite simply, ABE classes need to help them navigate this system. The National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) has put together a collection of resources to help ABE teachers and volunteers talk about the census and help learners understand why their participation is vitally important.

Find a wide variety of resources, including overview guides, resources for teaching and learning, and resources for programs at https://national-coalition-literacy.org/research/the-2020-census/census-2020-resource-links/

Teachers and tutors who work with adult ESL learners can access resources and download teacher guides at https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sis/2020census/2020-resources/ell-adult-esl.Adult.html

Thank you for making sure that every person is counted!