Census Information Center

Papa Ola Lökahi (POL) was designated a Census Information Center (CIC) in 2000 and is focused on Native Hawaiian (NH) and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) health data and data resources. The Census Bureau provides public access to data by developing partner relationships with a network of national, regional, and local organizations to support the Census Bureau’s data dissemination, collection programs, training community members in workshops and feedback, especially for underserved communities. CICs are national, regional, or local nonprofit organizations representing and/or serving the interests of underserved communities (racial/ethnic groups, children, rural areas, disabled, etc.). CICs provide awareness of and access to Census Bureau data for program planning, needs assessment, policy development analysis, and advocacy by underserved communities. Responsibilities include assisting the general public to understand and use data, become an official repository of Census Bureau data with the capability to access and disseminate data in electronic format. CICs expand partnerships among the State Data Centers (SDCs) and promote community training opportunities, exchange information via data sharing, conference opportunities, and speaking engagements. Program products include printed reports and materials, CD-ROM/DVD products, electronic files, Internet-based products (through the American Factfinder), subscriptions, documentation, guides, catalogs, indexes, maps, mapping databases, and custom tabulations. Requirements include maintaining a website, providing assistance to walk-in and telephone inquiries, referrals, community workshops, press releases, completing an annual report, participating in Census Bureau sponsored training, and produce reports using census data. In the past several years, CICs have received training in the following areas: Summary Files 1 through 4, American Factfinder, Advance Query, Data FERRET, American Community Survey (ACS), GIS mapping, and LandView6. Many CICs have participated in the Steering Committee, Beta-Testing, product testing, planning Joint Grant Funding, training and sharing resources, and contributed to the CIC website.

The Papa Ola Lökahi CIC has concentrated its efforts in training workshops for the community, data dissemination, satisfying requests for specific data by telephone, walk-in, and E-mail communications, advocating for NH issues in data collection and Census Bureau printed surveys in Hawaiian language, supporting issues for underserved communities, and planning and developing useful data products. POL invited Kamehameha Schools PASE Program to be an affiliate in 2003.