BGSU encourages Census 2020 participation

Data collections vital to sociologists, demographers

Bowling Green State University took an active role in promoting the 2020 Census, in part because the data collected from the census provide the basis for distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually. The funds support vital programs that impact education, housing, transportation, employment, health care and public policy.

Among the proponents on campus were leaders from the Center for Family and Demographic Research and the Department of Sociology, whose work often relies on data collections. According to the Population Association of America, “The 2020 Census will influence the research, research training and evaluation activities that population scientists, including demographers, economists and sociologists, will conduct over the next decade. A complete census count means more accurate data for research.”

To promote the importance of the census, BGSU created a designated website, sent emails to on- and off-campus students and to parents, and implemented a social media campaign across platforms.