by Rocio Zamora Arzola
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- Looking to include as many people from hard-to-count communities, the U.S. Census is partnering with Voto Latino and civil rights org MALDEF to use mobile technology and social media to reach Latino youth.
- The goal: to improve Latino youth’s awareness of and access to accurate, bilingual information about participating in the census (InformationNeeds.org 1.13.10).
- How will they do it? A cellphone app called the “Census Challenge” will target Latino youth to take an online pledge to be counted; youth will be encouraged to become virtual census recruiters by tapping into their social networks; and participants will be eligible for prizes from Apple and MTV.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- Technology and social media are key in communicating with young on-the-go Latinos. The importance of accurate census data may be esoteric to some Latino youth, but when educational info comes from sources and media they know and trust, they are more apt to take part.
RESOURCES
