pwn. PWN (verb) 1. An act of dominating an opponent.

The library’s planned Census campaign was completely disrupted when New York City shut down due to the pandemic. As the decennial count began in mid-March, the outreach team brainstormed how to reach as many New Yorkers as possible within the challenging new restrictions. With a crucial need to tackle another expected undercount in Kings County, we tapped into the skills and energy of our teen interns to share the importance of the Census in new and unconventional ways.

BPL’s teen interns earn stipends and service hours by assisting with programs, events and projects. With branches closed, we created a way for teens to complete remaining credits while spreading the word about the Census. The Census Ambassador group met weekly throughout spring and summer to learn about the Census and design projects to boost awareness among their peer and community networks. The teens were given complete ownership over the challenge at hand: “How can we be the most effective ambassadors possible?”

All told, over 60 teens tallied 500+ hours of Census outreach. We focused on having fun and developing interests and skills. Some made memes and infographics, while others provided research and scriptwriting for panels or social campaigns. Others got on camera and practiced their public speaking skills. And, friendly incentives got everyone competing for clicks!

This work was key to reaching many more Brooklynites during this difficult time, and together we learned how challenging — and rewarding — civic engagement can be.