---
title: ‘Our Democracy Is in Very Good Hands’
date: 2024-08-08T14:45:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/our-democracy-is-in-very-good-hands"
section: Articles
---
# ‘Our Democracy Is in Very Good Hands’

*August 8, 2024* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih)


> Students Celebrate Successful Summer Internships at Voter Education and Mobilization Nonprofits

*Laufer Democracy Internship 08072024 RS 3794 hero — Sophia Winner '25, a government and politics and economics double major, presents on her summer internship at the Scholars Strategy Network, made possible by the Laufer Democracy Internship Program.*

From helping to organize a town hall for Vice President Kamala Harris to programming a Spanish voter ID chatbot and recruiting dozens of new poll workers on campus, University of Maryland students found new ways to engage politically this summer, just months before a critical presidential election.

The 18 undergraduates in the inaugural cohort of the Laufer Democracy Internship Program, [funded by Marsha Zlatin Laufer ’64 and Henry Laufer](https://today.umd.edu/alums-gifts-support-maryland-democracy-initiative), worked for nonprofit organizations such as Pizza to the Polls, Vote Early Day and the Campus Vote Project. On Wednesday, they shared their experiences with community partners, faculty and staff, and fellow interns at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union.

The complicated web of U.S. voting regulations may intimidate those thinking about casting a ballot for the first time, so, “it’s critical that we engage some of the most talented students at our university and work with the leading coalition in the country to engage with colleges to welcome new voters,” said Sam Novey. He’s the chief strategist for the [Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement](https://cdce.umd.edu/) and leads the internship program that was developed in partnership with the [Students Learn Students Vote Coalition](https://slsvcoalition.org/) and the [Maryland Fellows Program](https://www.marylandfellows.umd.edu/).

The program is part of the nonpartisan, interdisciplinary [Maryland Democracy Initiative (MDI)](https://mdi.umd.edu/), funded by a [Grand Challenges Impact Award](https://research.umd.edu/gc/ia), which combines expertise from the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, College of Education, Philip Merrill College of Journalism and School of Public Policy to encourage civic participation and tackle threats to democracy.


*A student speaks to a woman in a suit — Javier Holdemar Fuentes ’27 (left) speaks to Marsha Zlatin Laufer ’64 about his internship experience.*


*Students pose with a poster while another student takes their photo — Journalism major Eden Binder ’26 (left) poses with mentor Milan Patel, partnerships manager at Vote Early Day, next to her summer internship poster while journalism major Wade DeVinney ’26 takes a photo.*




**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [Government and Politics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/government-and-politics), [2024 Elections](https://today.umd.edu/topic/2024-elections), [Civic Engagement](https://today.umd.edu/topic/civic-engagement), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [College of Behavioral and Social Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-behavioral-and-social-sciences), [College of Education](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-education), [Philip Merrill College of Journalism](https://today.umd.edu/topic/philip-merrill-college-journalism), [School of Public Policy](https://today.umd.edu/topic/school-public-policy)