As many of you may know, the U.S. Census Bureau is implementing a community-of-the-whole effort to accomplish our mission. We can’t achieve our mission without input and collaboration from our stakeholders, partners and the public – and our colleagues across the federal government, too. We know how valuable and important different perspectives are, and we are actively engaging the public in our work. Moreover, external engagement is key to understanding the data needs of the community from its own perspective.

As director of the Census Bureau, one of my priorities is to seek out and listen to the multitude of diverse voices across our nation. Toward that end, I am making a concerted effort to engage stakeholders, partners and local communities across America. In the first quarter of 2024, I have traveled to several states to continue that outreach effort:

Census Bureau Director's Community Engagement and Outreach

In the map above, the size of each circle is proportional to the total number of events attended in the general area represented by the circle from January 2022 through April 2024. In some cases, events in nearby cities are combined and represented by a single circle based on the scale of the map (e.g., events in Omaha, NE and Bellevue, NE are represented by a single circle).

Nebraska

In Nebraska, I engaged with community leaders from groups including the New Americans Task Force, the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans, the Urban League of Nebraska, the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, and Bryan Health. Our discussions about how the Census Bureau can meet the data needs of these organizations and the communities they serve were illuminating, and I look forward to future collaborations with them.

I met with the Nebraska Broadband Office about the Census Bureau’s collaboration with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to gather and analyze federal data that inform the implementation of the Digital Equity and ACCESS BROADBAND acts. And I visited campuses of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and Omaha, where I spoke about how rural data informs the future of connected communities, and toured the Nebraska State Data Center.

Texas

During a visit to Texas, I truly immersed myself in continuing our work to create connections and partnerships at many institutes of higher education, including Texas A&M, Sam Houston State University, University of Houston, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen. Our goal is to support opportunities for collaboration and expanded opportunities for students to pursue careers in fields such as statistics, economics and data science. I hope their students will bring their talents and perspectives to the Census Bureau in their future professional endeavors!

I also toured a colonia in Edinburg, Texas to see firsthand the challenges of identifying hidden housing and securing the participation of border populations in our censuses and surveys. I spoke with local elected officials about how we can work better together to provide relevant data to their communities for economic development and community needs assessments.

Washington, D.C.

I didn’t have to travel far to address researchers from around the Washington, D.C. metro area at “Georges’ Statistics Day,” an event organized by departments at The George Washington University and George Mason University. I discussed how our community-of-the-whole approach is informing our preparations for the 2030 Census, and how community engagement and local awareness about the Census Bureau’s work will be key to the next decennial count. I gave examples and reinforced the notion of advancing excellence through the inclusion of diverse perspectives.

Hawaii

On my visit to the beautiful and friendly state of Hawaii, I met with many government officials including Governor Josh Green, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and staff from the state’s congressional delegation to discuss how our data can support Hawaii’s communities, businesses and people. I also met with Native Hawaiian and Filipino community leaders and community health organizations about our recently released disaggregated data products from the 2020 Census, and how we can communicate with and support them in future data collections.

I also spoke to students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa about how combining critical thinking with their ‘whole selves’ (values, cultures, life and work experiences) can offer unique perspectives and contributions to their scientific endeavors.

Indiana

I was honored to speak to students at the Indiana University School of Public Health - Bloomington about the breadth of the Census Bureau’s work and how our data is used in communities across the nation. We discussed topics such as data equity, careers at the Census Bureau and the value of bringing students’ own diverse perspectives to advance scientific excellence. I also visited the Indiana State Data Center and the Immigrant Welcome Center in Indianapolis.

Washington

In Washington state, I was able to meet with the Tribal Council for the Tulalip Nation. I also toured and met with some tribal leaders at the Swinomish Reservation. It was so beneficial to listen to their issues and concerns about housing, the economy and detailed data for their tribal nations.

I also met with organizations like the Chief Seattle Club, Asian Counseling and Referral Services, and the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation to discuss how we can increase awareness of and participation in the next decennial census; reduce barriers to response; and enhance the public’s trust and willingness to respond.

But these visits to different states and communities aren’t the only way we’re working to bring diverse perspectives to our work. As part of our community-of-the-whole approach, we are also seeking input and collaboration closer to home, from our colleagues across the federal government.

In February I sat down with Dr. Atul Gawande, assistant administrator for Global Health at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), for a fireside chat about the enduring and successful partnership between the Census Bureau and USAID of close to 70 years. We celebrated the contributions of our International Programs Center to helping developing nations bolster their national statistical offices. We shared our perspectives on the vital role of population data and data equity in advancing development objectives, and how our agencies can continue to work together to foster collaboration and evidence-based policymaking worldwide. And I met with statistical officials from Kenya to discuss how we could assist their national statistical office.

I also recorded a podcast with Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, that explored the intersection of art, culture and statistical science – and how collectively they can be used to reinforce the value of participation in our censuses and surveys and, more generally, in promoting civic engagement. I enjoyed sharing my thoughts on how an “artful life” can fuel creativity and propel scientific achievement, and I hope you’ll check it out.

And in March, I was honored to speak to my colleagues and the public at the Department of Commerce’s Sunshine Week event. Sunshine Week is a national celebration of public access to information and the importance of open government. Here at the Census Bureau, we witness the power of open government every single day, and I relish the opportunity to speak about how we’re injecting transparency, openness and engagement with the public into our work. Living the values of the Census Bureau is key to our public service and our mission.

Thank you to everyone who’s shared their voice and perspective to help the Census Bureau innovate, create and ultimately produce accurate, relevant and useful data on our nation’s people, places and economy. Your feedback is so valuable.

I hope you’ll follow along throughout the year as I continue to highlight important data releases and happenings at the Census Bureau. And of course, I’ll keep you updated as I connect with even more communities and colleagues across the country!