Parents facing an ongoing dilemma for keeping kids engaged and learning at home should check out some new free educational resources being offered by the census.
This week, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools (SIS) program released four parent/caregiver toolkits for parents and guardians to use at home with students from pre-K through high school. These new toolkits provide fun Census Bureau interactives that school-age children can enjoy at home while e-learning.
The importance of teaching statistics during a pandemic
“The Statistics in Schools program has always been focused on providing additional resources to make learning about statistics and the 2020 Census fun and engaging,” said Dr. Steven Dillingham, Census Bureau Director in a media release. “Many students have transitioned to learning at home to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The program has adapted its activities to not only engage students, but also their families and caregivers, so that everyone in their household learns about the importance of the 2020 Census.”
All of the resources included in these kits are designed to teach students about their community and their country through statistics. SIS materials are engaging and easy to follow, and no prior teaching experience is needed to use them.
For younger students, parents will find resources like a coloring book and activities on topics such as transportation and counting. Older students can learn about topics like apportionment and even use census data to decide what they might want to do after high school. SIS resources provide a great opportunity for parents to learn more about their country, state or local community alongside their children.
In addition to providing educational opportunities, these materials also show families the importance of having accurate census data. While school buildings may be closed, the 2020 Census is still proceeding, and the goal remains the same — to ensure a complete and accurate count of everyone living in the United States, including all children. The results from the 2020 Census will inform the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars for hospitals, emergency services, and schools each year over the next decade. To achieve a complete and accurate count, it is imperative for every household to respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone or by mail.
The adjusted deadline for households to fill out the census is October 31st, 2020.
Related Story: Kids count in the 2020 census.
Kern Sol News is a youth-led journalism organization in Kern County. In their stories, reporters shine light on health and racial disparities in under-served communities across Kern. For more stories by South Kern Sol, head to southkernsol.org.
