The Maurice Ferré Institute# for Civic Leadership was# launched in 2021 to promote# civic engagement and leadership,# sustainable community infrastructure and social justice, and we do that through academic## research and community oriented programs.# In terms of academic, we have# a certificate that's available# both to undergraduate students# and to graduate students in# civic engagement and public management.

We also have a free microcredential that's# available for students.

We have a fellowship## program that students are able to participate in service-learning projects as well.# We've been very successful in# fundraising for scholarships.# Maurice Ferré is probably most well known for being the first Hispanic mayor of Miami.# He was born in Puerto Rico# and was the first Hispanic# mayor of a major U.S. city, so he served as the mayor from Miami from# 1973 to 1985, during some of# Miami's most tumultuous years.# He made sure to bring unity# between the white, the black# and brown communities.

He was very progressive## in the sense of social justice.

He appointed the first black## city attorney and even went to the Department of Justice to## help desegregate our Miami's police and fire departments.# But before he was the mayor,# he was also a state legislator,# a county commissioner, and# later dedicated his life# to public transportation as# the director of the Miami Dade# Transportation Authority.

On this rendering, you'll## see that Maurice Ferré was one of the first to propose## a tunnel underneath the Port of Miami in order to eliminate## a lot of the traffic that was going through downtown.

He was very visionary in the sense of not only realizing that to leverage federal dollars,## that we had to work regionally.# working in collaboration with Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County.# Through the Tri-Rail and other# transportation, we were able to# leverage and make a more# unified South Florida community.

And I think what's really come# about through the interviews# that we've done with those# who knew him and those who# worked with him, is how much# he loved people and how much he# loved Miami, and how he really# wanted to empower people to# be civically engaged to make a# difference in their community.

As a nonpartisan institute, we# really focus on just education# and letting voters to make# their own informed decisions.# This semester, we have a series called FIU votes.# Our first one focuses on# government 101, to explain# the difference between the responsibilities of the local, state, and federal government.# The second in our series is# contacting your Representatives,# we give students the tools on# how to advocate and to reach# their representatives to express their opinions.

And then our final in our FIU vote## series is Your Vote Your Voice, which ties voting to## the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals so everyone## can find an issue that really will drive them to the polls to make a difference.# Our number one goal is just# to make sure that every young# person feels confident when# they're casting their ballot,# and they feel as if you know# they're making the best and most# informed decision they can.

We'll always try our best## to provide, you know, nonpartisan, you know, factual, educational information.# Today we hosted an event with# the ACLU at FIU Student Club,# and this was about explaining# the Florida Constitutional# Amendments Forum.

We had a representative## from the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Office from the League of Women## Voters, from Engage Miami, and from the## ACLU to basically break down each amendment so that we could provide## a clearer understanding of what a yes or no vote.# Again, we don't want to tell# anyone how to vote, but we want# to make sure that they're able# to make informed decisions for.# Quite a few years now.

Engage Florida has been a partner with FIU through# the Fair Institute.

Through our partnership,## we are regularly here at FIU registering young people to vote, making sure that# their, you know, their voter registration forms are updated and their voter information## is up to date.

We also assist with## vote by mail requests and we help decode the ballot with them.

Since January until right now, we have registered over 2000 students to vote this election cycle.

We want to make sure that# we put young people front# and center, and if we're helping build their civic# power through this partnership,# you know, it's a win win,# you know, for FIU, but also# the organization as well.# And the future of Florida.

My spiel to students is that,## you know, although it may not seem like it in## terms of bigger elections, like presidential elections,## with the whole Electoral College, that our vote may not count,## but in local elections, this is where we really feel all of## the ripples of, you know, voting and legislation.# I really encourage students to# get involved and investigate# And really, you know, invest# their time in our future# because this is what we're really talking about.

This is what is in our hand.# Voting legislation, the ballot.

That's our future.# We don't just inform and# say, oh, come to our event# or whatever, but they show up.

We show up because we really want change.

Working with organizations like# the ACLU, at FIU club and other# organizations and students like# Enrique and Genesis is really# just heartening because you see# how motivated they are and how# involved they are.

And to be that role model## for their peers and showing how they can move the needle.# And really it's all about# just giving them the tools# and the resources to feel like they can make their voice heard within the Green school## and across FIU.

We have affiliate## faculty like Doctor Jose Mauricio Gomez from Modern Languages,## who are really our liaisons out in the community and within our classes.# So we want to be able to pull# together the different units of# the university to work together,# bringing in faculty from# different majors, from different# programs, to inform students# about the programs, but also# give them an opportunity to get# engaged.

The South Florida community.

I think one of the landmarks is the diversity.

It's a multi linguistic community.# It's a place where during the history, especially from the 60s until now, everything changed.# I would say that you cannot# survive here if you are not# able to communicate in the# main languages that we have.

Then I think FIU and Instituto# Federal in this case,# and the part that I am working# now in, in my department in# modern languages, we can bring# together that big effort just# to prepare.

In the case of the leadership, you cannot be a really good leader here if## you are not aware of that variety of that diversity.# We are professors.

We have a big impact in our students.# And that's why here in the in# the School of International# Relations and Public Affairs,# CIPA is, you know, helping# the new leaders in the future,# but not only in this community# but all over the world.

And it makes sense to me to be## in this college and being part of the Institute of Array.

We are building up the new generations to come and languages.# That is my duty in this# college is a big part of that.

It is a privilege to serve in# this position as the director# of the Maurice Ferré Institute.

Learning about Maurice Frey through his archives,# through our interactions with his family and for those that worked with him.

It's about being a responsive leader.

It's about caring about people and doing## what you can, not just for your own## personal well-being, but what's going to be for the betterment of your entire commu.. And we really want to prepare# our students to be the next# generations of global# leaders, whether it's here in# Miami or across the country and across the world.# We want students to realize# that we're all in this together,# and that we should work together# to make this a better future.