The Maryland Democracy Initiative (MDI), a partnership of experts in education, journalism, political science, and public policy, has received two $100,000 gifts from Marsha Laufer ’64 and her husband, Henry Laufer. The Laufers have devoted their careers to political activism, and now hope to empower the next generation to become more engaged and involved in the democratic process. 

The two gifts will be used to support voter mobilization efforts and to fund the new Laufer Democracy Internship. The internship program will provide 18 UMD students with paid, full-time placements at nonprofits that are dedicated to voter education and voter mobilization at colleges and schools. Interns will share the knowledge gained from these nonprofits with MDI to inform its research on effective student mobilization strategies. 

Read more about the Laufers and their gift here: https://today.umd.edu/alums-gifts-support-maryland-democracy-initiative

The MDI is a nonpartisan interdisciplinary program that combines research, teaching and learning, and civic engagement to create a more just society. It includes members from the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement and the Department of Government and Politics, and was created by a Grand Challeges Impacts Award. MDI strives to advance scholarship to solve the grand challenge of democracy, and it generates collaborative scholarship on democracy and the everyday practices of UMD and its surrounding communities. More information about the initiative can be found at https://mdi.umd.edu/.