On October 29th, the U.S Census Bureau kicked off its new Statistics in Schools (SIS) program with a festival in Memphis, Tennessee. The Census Bureau wants to increase awareness and engagement with the U.S Census by reaching out to the preadult community nationwide.

The festival, aptly named “Everyone Counts,” was hosted at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and attended by over one thousand local teachers and students. David Osmond, the host of the Wonderama TV show, was featured as a guest speaker. Students partook in various statistics-themed performances and contests, such as a supersized dice toss.

The SIS program aims to increase awareness of the census and help educate students about the value of statistics in general. It offers educators a myriad of free open-access activities, games, and other resources for grades K through 12. These resources can be used by English language learners, and they are meant to be applicable to any classroom setting. Every American school district superintendent will receive a letter inviting them to utilize SIS.

Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham is adamant that the pathway to increasing citizen engagement in the census lies in the school system.

“Our nation’s educators are trusted voices in their communities. With their help we can teach every student in the nation about the importance of participating in the 2020 Census,” he said. “The Statistics in Schools program brings data and the 2020 Census into the classroom. This is a national call to action for every educator and student across the country. When students take home the message of how important the 2020 Census is, they help ensure that their household is counted.”

For more information and the free SIS resources, visit https://census.gov/schools