The Fayette County Public School System has joined the US Census Bureau’s Partnership Program in order to increase awareness among students, parents, employees and residents in the Fayette community about the importance of participating in the upcoming 2010 Census.

Census partners are government, nonprofit, corporate or community organizations that have formally pledged their commitment to share the 2010 Census message and mobilize constituents in support of the Census Bureau’s goal of achieving a complete count.

As a partner, Fayette County Public Schools will assist in informing residents about the upcoming population count by setting up informational tables and booths at school and system-wide events and distributing promotional materials to employees and parents.

Through the Census in Schools program, age-specific materials will be distributed to teachers for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Materials include maps displaying population counts and other demographic information; and lesson plans grouped by grade and correlated to national standards for math, geography and language arts. Materials that integrate census information with social studies and community participation will also be available. Teachers can customize these materials to fit with lessons they are teaching.

Census questionnaires will be delivered to households in March 2010 and should be mailed back to the Census Bureau by April 1. The 2010 questionnaire will be one of the shortest in history, consisting of 10 questions and taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict laws protect the confidentiality of respondents and the information they provide.

The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data guide the distribution of more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. They're also used to determine Congressional apportionment and help guide planning decisions such as the placement of schools, hospitals, transportation, and business and industrial development.

For more information about the 2010 Census, go to 2010census.gov.

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