PHILADELPHIA – To support the outreach efforts of Philly Counts 2020, the City’s census initiative, the latest round of Digital Literacy Alliance (DLA) grants have been awarded to organizations that are using technology to improve census participation.
“Through their grants program, the Alliance has been an important part of our efforts to promote digital literacy and bridge the gap in our communities in terms of access to technology and the internet,” said Mayor Kenney. “These digital literacy grants are being awarded to a mix of established and emerging organizations that are working in diverse neighborhoods, and that are employing unique strategies to encourage participation in the upcoming census.”
This is the third round of DLA grants, and eight local groups are receiving funding. Launched in 2017, the Digital Literacy Alliance is a broad coalition of institutional stakeholders working to alleviate the digital divide in Philadelphia. The eight winners were chosen from among 38 submissions to the grant-making opportunity announced in June. This year’s grants range from $13,000 to $40,000.
“The 2020 Census will be particularly challenging because much of the process—from finding workers and training them, to completing the census form itself—will be handled online,” said Stephanie Reid, Executive Director of Philly Counts 2020. “These online requirements make digital access and literacy a critical component of the upcoming census process. So, we are thrilled that the DLA focused this grant cycle on creative ways that technology might improve census participation.”
The DLA coalition develops strategy, manages seed funding, oversees funded programs, and seeks additional funding with the assistance of relevant stakeholders and coalition members. Including the current grant cycle, the Alliance has awarded a total of $534,000 in funds to several community organizations and schools for digital literacy projects. As of November, 2019, the DLA maintains a fund of approximately $975,000.
“On behalf of the members of the Alliance, we are pleased to support the City’s census outreach efforts with these grants,” said Andrew Buss, Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Office of Innovation and Technology. “The initiatives supported in this grant cycle are a perfect example of how digital access and literacy offer substantial, tangible benefits for residents and the city as a whole.”
The 2019 Digital Literacy Alliance Grant awardees are as follows:
Center in the Park
Count Me In! Empowering Philadelphia’s Older Adults to Participate in the 2020 Census aims to ensure that older adults—a population at high risk of undercounting—have a supportive environment to engage with technology and build the digital literacy skills needed to complete the largely online-driven 2020 Census.
Temple University Institute on Disabilities partnering with Liberty Resources, Inc.
Census2020 Counts Philadelphians with Disabilities is a partnership between two well-established disability advocacy organizations working to reach Philadelphians with disabilities—especially those within low-income, marginalized populations—and directly engage them with 2020 Census education and efforts.
PhillyCAM
PhillyCAM is producing a Census2020 Media Toolkit for use by community organizers, non-profit organizations and census workers to connect with hard to reach populations.
Asian Americans United
Through Census2020: Get Out the Count! Asian Americans United (AAU) is focused on connecting with hard-to-reach Asian immigrant communities to encourage census participation. AAU plans to train over 100 volunteers who will support Asian community members through field outreach and access to online language-accessible materials.
SEAMAAC
SEAMAAC’s Digital Literacy Census Engagement Project will focus on increasing census participation among immigrant and refugee populations in South Philadelphia. By utilizing a wide range of digital literacy and outreach strategies, the project aims to empower community members and remove many of the barriers to census participation.
Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia partnering with Laos in the House and VietLead
Southeast Asians Count Census2020 is a collaborative project focused on promoting the 2020 Census among Philadelphia’s Southeast Asian communities through avenues such as digital literacy workshops, print and social media campaigns, and in-person support with online census forms.
AFRICOM
AFRICOM will conduct Census2020: African Natural Hair Braiding Shops and Ethnic Restaurants’ Engagement, a city-wide outreach program to reach African and Caribbean immigrants through social avenues such as natural hair-braiding shops, ethnic restaurants, and grocery stores.
Ceiba
Ceiba’s Everybody Counts – Todos Contamos project will target 54 hard-to-count census tracts in predominantly Limited English Proficient (LEP) Latino communities. The effort seeks to empower these communities and equip them with the information and tools necessary to use digital technology to connect with all components of the 2020 Census.