The 2010 Census is one year away and preparations are in full swing. Activities to lay the groundwork for the nationwide effort to count everyone residing in the United States are visible across the country. 2010 Census data inform critical decisions from congressional representation to the allocation of more than $435 billion annually in federal funds. Beginning in April and May 2009, United States residents will see that the 2010 Census is under way in their communities through operational milestones including:

• Address Canvassing: Approximately 140,000 census workers, hired from within each local community, will cover most neighborhoods to identify each residential address. This will help ensure everyone residing in the United States receives a 2010 Census questionnaire. This is the first visible sign that the decennial census is approaching and the first use of handheld technology by the Census Bureau. The result of this effort will be the most comprehensive U.S. address list in existence.
• Partnership Recruitment: Partnerships with for-profit and non-profit organizations and government entities are vital to raising awareness of and increasing participation in this historic event. More than 250 national partners have already signed on to spread the message that achieving a complete and accurate count is important in 2010.
• Census in Schools: Throughout April 2009, every school in the country will receive a letter of interest encouraging principals and teachers to sign on and participate in the K-12 Census in Schools program. Schools will receive their Census in Schools instructional materials in the Fall of 2009. Students will be able to experience the Census In Schools program throughout the 2009-2010 school year.

-X-

Editor’s note: News releases, reports and data tables are available on the Census Bureau’s home page. Go to https://www.census.gov; and click on “Releases.”

As with all 2010 Census information, the address information collected by the Census Bureau is confidential by law (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 9). All Census Bureau employees, including the census workers who collect the address information and GPS coordinates, have taken a lifetime oath to protect confidentiality and are subject to a jail term, a fine — or both — for disclosing any information that could identify a respondent or household.