1st Place: What’s the 9? The 2020 Census By Kalea Barnes Kalea Barnes won first place in the Explorer Deadline Dash! Barnes and other Explorers interviewed Victoria Brooks, Partnership Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau and had less than 15 minutes to write an article about the interactive Zoom interview event. On May 2, 2020 I joined a Zoom call with the Merze Tate Explorers. We talked about the 2020 Census with a guest speaker Victoria Brooks. Brooks shared a slide with us describing what the 2020 Census was and how it operates in the US. The Explorers have continued to meet amazing professionals during this Covid-19 Stay in Place order by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The 2020 Census counts every person living in the United States and five U.S. territories. In mid-March, homes across the country began receiving invitations to complete the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, you respond about your home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. When you respond to the census, you’ll tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1, 2020. The first Census was started in 1790 when George Washington was president. It is in Article 1, section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. The 2020 Census is important because responding helps shape resources for children and our community over the next decade and it is conducted every 10 years. Responding to the census is not only your civic duty, it also affects the amount of funding your community receives, how your community plans for the future, and your representation in government. Specifically, data from the 2020 Census are used to ensure public services and funding for schools, hospitals, and fire departments, plans for new homes and businesses, and to improve neighborhoods. The Census also determines how many seats your state is allocated in the House of Representatives. Fun fact: The largest state to have the biggest population is California. See the other winners here and what they won:Click:2nd place: Everyone Counts by Sanaa Olivacce-Shabazz $15Click:3rd place: What’s the Census by Syann and Sasha Hollins $15Click:Honorable Mention: The Importance of the Census by Alayna and Nya Kuhn $15Click:Honorable Mention: The 2020 Census by Chance Mitchell $15Click:Honorable Mention: 2020 Census by Aliah Ward $15Click:Honorable Mention: Zoom Census Fun by Sierra Ward $25-1st Story In
