Secretary Locke, Census Bureau Launch National 'Census in Schools' Initiative to Improve the 2010 Count

Secretary Locke, Census Bureau Launch National 'Census in Schools' Initiative
to Improve the 2010 Count

BALTIMORE, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the 2010 Census less than
five months away, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Census Bureau
Director Robert M. Groves today visited a Baltimore high school to help launch
a new initiative to help local school districts educate young people about the
U.S. Constitution and the importance of the census.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO)

"We are thrilled to launch the Census in Schools program," Locke said at
Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore. "The census is a vital part of our
democracy and children have historically been undercounted. When local schools
decide to include census ideas in their curriculum, kids will learn about the
important role the census has played throughout American history and increase
their awareness of the upcoming 2010 Census."

Scholastic Inc. -- a global children's publishing, education and media company
-- has worked with the Census Bureau to develop the standards-specific
supplementary education materials, which are being provided to all 118,000
schools nationwide. It is expected that schools will decide on their own
whether to include the material as part of their standard curriculum.

The Census in Schools materials are available free online at
www.census.gov/schools for educators, students, parents, home-schoolers and
the public. Teachers can use the lesson plans -- as they are or adapted as
needed -- to teach a host of topics including mapping, math concepts, data
literacy and civics.

For students who come from homes where English may be a second language or
where there's a low level of information about the decennial count, the Census
in Schools program represents an opportunity for students to teach their
parents about the importance of participating in this national, civic exercise
and the central role it plays in the annual allocation of more than $400
billion of government funding.

"The Census in Schools program offers creative ways for students of all ages
to think about their community and how this important constitutional
responsibility can impact it," Groves said. "Kids cannot vote but the census
offers a real way they can actively participate in our democracy. We hope
schools will find some useful ideas to supplement their regular curricula."

Available resources online include:

-- Lessons Plans: Materials will feature skill-building activities in map
literacy, graphing, reading and civic responsibility.
-- Teaching Ideas: Provides ways teachers can incorporate census
information into the classroom.
-- Facts for Features: A compilation of facts about special days,
including
anniversaries and observances such as Women's History Month, Cinco de
Mayo, Back to School and more.
-- Broadcast, Photo and Radio Services: Easy-to-access research
opportunities include photos and videos.
-- Quick Facts: Quick, easy access to facts for students and teachers to
learn about people, business and geography for the nation or states,
counties or large cities.

-- Maps: Teachers can print and post maps in their classroom enabling
students to closely study real-world census data and graphically see
the
demographics and population distribution of the United States.

Home schools can access the same materials online at www.census.gov/schools.

For more information about the Census in Schools program or to learn about how
to participate, visit www.census.gov/schools.

Editor's note: News releases, reports and data tables are available on the
Census Bureau's home page. Go to http://www.census.govand click on "Releases."

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

Jennifer Smits of the U.S. Census Bureau, +1-301-763-3691,
pio.2010@census.gov