The National Coalition for Literacy is committed to ensuring that all of the 36 million U. S. residents at the lowest literacy and numeracy levels are included in the 2020 Census count.

To achieve this goal, we need the help of all of the adult education teachers, literacy teachers and tutors, adult education programs, libraries, and service providers that interact with members of this population every day to spread the message and encourage Census completion. Read our blog post on the importance of Census completion for adult education here.

You can help by becoming a part of our Pledge To Be Counted! campaign.

PTBC is an effort by NCL and its member organizations to ensure a complete Census count, with a specific focus on adults with low levels of literacy, numeracy, and digital skill. We are asking organizations, programs, and individuals to pledge to help these adults understand the value of the Census and complete the Census form.

We have customized pledge forms for teachers and staff, programs, associations, and current NCL members, as well as Census Ambassadors.

Individual teachers, tutors, and staff, take the Pledge To Be Counted.

Adult education programs and libraries, take the Pledge To Be Counted.

State and local adult education associations, literacy councils, and other organizations, take the Pledge To Be Counted.

NCL member organizations, take the Pledge To Be Counted.

Census Ambassadors, take the Pledge To Be Counted.

In its own Pledge To Be Counted, NCL has committed to providing the following:

• A series of informational webinars and conference presentations on the Census as it relates to adult education

• Free access to online classroom lessons and materials, including a special issue of The Change Agent magazine and a simulation site for practicing online Census form completion

• A list of links to online Census teaching and learning resources

• A reference list of online Census information resources

• A customizable, printable flyer for your program or organization to use to promote Census completion

• A social media toolkit with sample graphics, tweets, and Facebook posts you can use in your own community

In addition, NCL will provide prizes (in the form of teaching and professional development resources) to the individuals and organizations that report the greatest levels of outreach in relation to their size. See the list of possible prizes here.