Brooklyn, NY – HITN is pleased to announce that the first-place winner of the citywide ¡Tú Cuentas! 2020 Census Essay Writing Contest is Alyssa Carter from P.S. 197Q in Queens. Carter’s essay was the absolute favorite receiving a majority of the online votes and earning her the title of HITN NYC Student Census Ambassador.

Carter, a fourth-grade student who resides in Far Rockaway, Queens, wrote about the importance of being counted in the 2020 Census in her winning essay titled “The Census”. As she explains, “It’s important to fill out the 2020 Census and to count everyone that lives in your household. It helps us and our communities to get the help and funding that we need. Like improving our hospitals, nursing homes and medical agencies.”

“When Alyssa learned about all the money the Census could bring into our neighborhood, she was excited to be an advocate for her school and community. She wanted to write her essay to encourage family and others to be counted, and to know why,” said Carter’s mother Kristal Morla.

Also recognized in this year’s contest are second-place winner Ava Ramos of P.S. 380 in Brooklyn and third-place winner Xandre Maldonado of P.S. 20 in Manhattan.

The ¡Tú Cuentas! 2020 Census Essay Writing Contest was launched by HITN in collaboration with CUNY and Schneps Media to promote citywide Census participation among hard-to-count communities and raise awareness about the need for children to be accurately counted.

Students were asked to share their thoughts about why participating in the 2020 Census matters for them, their families, and their communities. They were also encouraged to learn more about the Census and motivate family members to participate. Over 300 fourth-grade students from 15 schools representing all five boroughs submitted entries to the competition.

“We’re incredibly proud of all the students who participated and used their voices and creativity to bring attention to such a crucial topic for our community. A huge thanks to our wonderful partners CUNY and Schneps Media, and to the teachers and school administrators who were committed to moving this initiative forward and motivated their students during these very challenging times. Our gratitude also goes out to the local elected officials who collaborated to help spread this critical message in support of an accurate 2020 Census count. Congratulations to Alyssa for delivering a moving and impactful essay!” said Naomi Rivera, Executive Director of Government Affairs at HITN.

The first-place winner will receive a Certificate of Merit presented by NYS Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato along with a trophy, a $200 gift card, and a backpack filled with back-to-school essentials. The second and third-place winners will each receive a $25 gift card along with a backpack filled with school supplies.

“I am so proud that P.S. 197 in Far Rockaway is represented in this contest, and for developing the next wave of civically engaged young people,” said Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato. “Our community is consistently undercounted, and the students of P.S. 197 are taking action against that and spreading awareness about the Census. It is so crucial to inform and educate our communities about what is at stake and encourage participation to secure access to essential resources and visibility across political, social, and economic arenas.”

The winning essay can be found on the ¡Tú Cuentas! 2020 Census Essay Writing Contest website or contacting M/A Pheffer Amato’s district office at 718-945-9550 or 718-641-8755.