SAN DIEGO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The United States Census Bureau, the government agency responsible for population data collection, and Peachjar, the digital flyer management solution that connects K-12 families to critical school and community resources, today announced a partnership to educate communities about the upcoming Census. The Census Bureau will disseminate informative digital flyers to all Peachjar schools, which schools can review and approve for distribution to families. Community organizations and local Census staff that are promoting Census education and events can also use Peachjar to distribute digital flyers for free.
The partnership raises awareness of the 2020 Census, explains how population counting works and conveys the importance of participation, especially for young children since they are historically undercounted. Census participation is critical for securing the proper resources to support every student's success. Altogether, data collected from the 2020 Census will impact the distribution of more than $800 billion in federal funding, including education funds that are critical for economically disadvantaged families.
"What we're seeing at our nation's schools is a steadily growing population, and with that growth comes an increased need for academic and life provisions," said Victoria Glasier, chief of the Statistics in Schools program at U.S. Census Bureau. "It is imperative that each student and family member is accounted for. Responding to the Census helps your community get its fair share of funding. We're grateful to have Peachjar as a partner in our effort to educate communities about the importance of being counted."
Using Peachjar's unique position in 15,000 schools, the U.S. Census Bureau will be able to reach the 10 million parents currently receiving digital school messages with the facts and resources they need to make an informed decision about Census participation for their family. The Census Bureau will provide flyers to schools in up to four languages to accommodate students and families from diverse backgrounds, including those of who are English Language Learners.
"We view Census education as central to our mission and responsibility to our community," said Steve Flores, Ph.D., superintendent of schools at Round Rock Independent School District. "This partnership makes it simple for our schools to share accurate, valuable Census information with families and community constituents. This is an indispensable community service."
According to a Census report, the resources affected by Census results include Title I grants that serve more than 24 million students from low-income families, special education grants and National School Lunch Program provisions. The same data will impact academic decisions about class size, professional development for teachers and preschool program access, as well as decisions about family support including nutrition resources like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and assistance with living needs like housing and food.
"It's important to us that students are able to gain access to adequate resources in school and life so that they can focus on learning and personal growth," said Mike Durham, CEO of Peachjar. "This partnership is a strategic fit for our organization because it represents what we believe is a moral imperative: striving to ensure that every student has the resources they need to thrive in school and in life."
Peachjar is offering expedited onboarding for schools seeking to distribute Census information to their communities ahead of Census Day on April 1. For more information, visit http://www.peachjar.com/census.
About United States Census Bureau
The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the population every 10 years. The 2020 Census will count everyone who lives in the U.S. as of April 1, 2020 (Census Day). Census statistics are used to determine the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives and to inform how billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated by state, local, and federal lawmakers every year for the next 10 years. Beginning in mid-March, households can respond online, by phone or by mail. For more information, visit the Census Bureau website: https://2020census.gov/en.
About Peachjar
Peachjar unites schools, parents and communities in a joint mission to elevate student outcomes. Its cloud-based communication platform improves and streamlines school-to-home and community-to-school-to-home communication by distributing critical information and resources directly to parents as interactive digital flyers. On average, each school saves 740 hours in labor and 84,000 sheets of paper annually. More than 750 school districts, 27,000 community organizations and 10 million parents in 43 states rely on Peachjar to deliver resources critical to student achievement and social emotional health. Learn more at http://www.peachjar.com.
SOURCE Peachjar
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