COD Launches Campaign to Count Students in 2020 Census

Ahead of the 2020 census, College of DuPage is working to inform students and community members about the importance of participating in the census as it sets the stage for the next ten years, impacting how $800 billion dollars in federal funding will be allocated to more than 100 key programs. Learn more.

College of DuPage President Dr. Brian Caputo, who also serves as the chair of the Aurora Complete Count Committee, wants to make sure the census is an equitable process that includes everyone’s voice. Young people and their families could lose access to vital programs that make education more affordable and accessible, he said.

“We are encouraging students to be civic-minded,” Dr. Caputo said. “With it being an election year, it’s even more important students understand how their participation will shape their future. The next ten years for Millennials means buying homes, starting families and driving the U.S. labor force and economy. Generation Z will enter and graduate from college, begin repaying student loans and start their careers. While young people are working to make their adult lives financially secure, they need to be able to rely on support programs that could be at stake.”

Despite the importance of young people’s participation, a recent Pew Research Center survey found that people under 30 are least likely to say they plan to participate in the census. COD Sociology Professor Matt Green emphasized the importance of engaging students in order to build a civically-engaged society.

“The data on census participation by age is consistent with similar data on political engagement,” he said. “For instance, data consistently shows that younger Americans are on average less likely to vote than older Americans. This year will be the first time many traditional-age college students have even heard about the census since many were children when the last census was taken a decade ago. COD needs to be an informational hub for them leading up to the deadline. And while some students aren’t head of household, we want them to go home and educate their families.”

To that end, starting April 1, COD will launch several initiatives to encourage census participation including informational displays and posters around campus, screen savers on public-use computers, a census webpage on COD’s website, a social media campaign and Student Life outreach campaigns.

Student Life Manager Chuck Steele said he and his team are working diligently to connect students, staff and community members to census resources.

“We are trying to engage a tech-savvy generation, so that means relying on social media, email blasts and other online resources in addition to face-to-face interaction,” he said. “With this being the first time the census can be filled out online, we are making COD’s campus as accessible as possible for participation.”

Additionally, on April 1, COD will launch a new podcast in partnership with DuPage County, focusing its first episode on how the 2020 census works and why it is important to DuPage County residents. The episode will feature Dr. Caputo, DuPage County Board Chairman Daniel Cronin and COD Student Life Coordinator Stephanie Quirk.