Attention All Students! $10,000 #2020Census Video Prize Challenge!

What is the video challenge about? According to the website Census Accelerate - they are looking for all students who have time on their hands to create a short video.

Why is this important? Census data informs the local funding we receive over the next ten years!

They explain "How making a video about the 2020 Census could win you up to $30,000! Census Accelerate, an initiative within the innovation arm of the U.S. Census Bureau, has launched its first-ever video prize competition to reward the most engaging, impactful and informative videos about the 2020 Census - with a total of $50,000 in cash prizes.

This is a nationwide call for the most impactful, accurate, inspiring, funny, creative, and culturally relevant videos to educate the masses about the 2020 Census and mobilize communities to respond, reminding them that it’s not too late to self-respond online, by phone or by mail.

The format that the challenge will focus on is short-format video content—30 seconds to 3 minutes in length— for social platforms like YouTube, with the goal of informing the public about the importance of the census, and activating them to self-respond.

The U.S. Census Bureau will be awarding a total of $50,000 for video submissions that can encourage hard to count communities to fill out the Census.

• $30,000 — Grand Prize
• $10,000 — Runner Up Prize
• $10,000 — Student Prize

Submissions close on May 7 at 11:59pm EDT (extended deadline) with winners announced by early June.

Go to Rules & Guidelines Download Submission Checklist
Why is it important?The results of the 2020 Census will determine how congressional representation and billions of dollars in federal funding are distributed to states and cities for schools, roads, hospitals and more.

Some hard-to-count communities such as racial and ethnic minorities, young and mobile populations, and families with young children could miss out on their fair share, but we can help change that.
What’s Next?Take a look at helpful messaging, guidance and specific talking points to increase the accuracy of the video content.

(Before you start - please review this document to learn more about the #2020Census. In addition, please see the video samples and the WeVideo link below.  Have fun creating!)
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Creative Examples:
​Everybody Counts
Sesame Street
Rock the Vote
Count All Kids
Hagase Contar (Spanish)"

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To learn how to create a video using WeVideo please see this link. 

If you have any further questions, please contact me:
​Deborah Ehler-Hansen
​dehler-hansen@svuvt.org
FHUHS School Librarian
Vermont School Library Association President