Every 10 years, the nation comes together to participate in the United States Census. The census plays an essential role in the distribution of federal resources to communities across the country, as well as Congressional apportionment in the U.S. House of Representatives. An accurate census count determines how hundreds of billions of federal dollars are spent each year on key priorities like schools, hospitals and emergency services – decisions that will have a significant impact on our nation’s youth and our communities.  

Boys & Girls Clubs of America is proud to be a national partner of the 2020 Census. As a trusted voice in communities around the country, Boys & Girls Clubs can help reach hard-to-count communities, ensuring an accurate census and snapshot of our population. 

There are many ways Clubs will partner with the U.S. Census Bureau to support the 2020 Census, from supporting community members to respond to the census on their social channels, hosting workshops to develop solutions to census challenges in their areas and much more.   But it’s not just Boys & Girls Clubs, anyone can get involved in their local Complete Count Committee to educate and motivate people to participate in the 2020 census.  

Partnering with the Census Bureau provides a unique learning opportunity for teens – not only to gain on-the-job skills as census takers, but to also learn about and participate in one of our country’s most important civic engagements. The 2020 Census will also have opportunities for older Club teens to gain valuable workforce experience, for those who will turn 18 by 2020.  

And Clubs are already hitting the ground running! The Mid-Peninsula Boys & Girls Club in San Mateo, Calif. went above and beyond by involving their Keystone members in the “Census Street Team,” teaching them about the ins and outs of the 2020 Census. San Mateo County officials also led a Census workshop at the Teen Center, which also served as an opportunity to teach valuable communication and collaboration skills to teens.  

To see how you can get involved with the 2020 Census, click here for more resources.