There are many ways that adult education programs can participate in Get Out the Count (GOTC) efforts and in preparing adults to be informed participants in the census. The resources on this page support programs to partner with local and state organizations, conduct their own campaigns, and stay informed about the census. Look here for information about the National Coalition for Literacy‘s campaign for a full census count.

Program Mobilization Activities

• Join the National Coalition for Literacy’s Pledge to be Counted campaign to join other adult education programs in a shared effort to get out the count!
• Learn about Complete Count Committees and Find one in Your Community (For more guidance on how to find your nearest Complete Count Committee, watch this Census Bureau video (video, 1:33).
• Partner with the Census Bureau for community outreach and Census Partner Materials
• Use these Census Bureau Guidelines for Partners Supporting Self-Response to make sure you are not overstepping as a partner. Keep in mind you cannot fill out the census for others.
• Partner with libraries: Libraries’ Guide to the 2020 Census.
• Use guidance on Communication Principles and a Relational Approach to Community Engagement to build your capacity to engage people effectively about the Census. Both are from San Mateo County’s Census 2020 initiative.

Background Webinars on Census Topics

• Census 2020: Preparing Your Adult Education Program, Participants, and Community — featuring California’s Adult Education Program
• Preparing Adult Education Programs for the Upcoming Census — This webinar reviews how the 2020 Census works, why it matters, challenges that threaten a full population count, and how adult education programs can help adults understand and participate in the 2020 Census.
• How are People Counted in the Census? – This webinar covers how people are counted in the census, what a successful census entails, and what “hard-to-count” and “undercount” mean when it comes to counting our communities.
• Digital Tools: Community Connect Labs – This webinar covers how technology can provide census solutions and went over applications that will improve community participation in hard-to-count areas.
• Webinar on Organizing, Engagement, and Census Bureau Outreach and Partnerships – This webinar covers the best field and communications strategies for getting out the count. They review resources on how to mobilize communities to participate in the 2020 Census, language assistance, top messages that resonate with communities, social media tools, and more.
• The Race Question – This webinar covers the race and Hispanic origin questions currently on the 2020 Census, discussing the Census Bureau’s failed efforts to combine race and Hispanic origin questions and add a Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) category, dynamics around check boxes and write-in responses, and the ability to indicate more than one race.

Other Materials

• “Know Your Rights” printable information cards [created by CVIIC (Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative)]