Boo! Did we scare you? It’s FCI!
Hey there! Long time no see! Miss us?
These past few months, over here at FCI, we’ve been really busy! Let’s catch up!
Starting off, FCI held our EveryVote event in Orlando, Florida!
On August 24, the community of Holden Heights came together for our EveryVote event. This community engagement project was led by FCI and focused on educating people about voting.
Organized by FCI, we got financial support from Campus Vote Project who gave us a grant!🤑. We also got in-person support and training by VoteRiders and the Orlando County Supervisor of Elections. Overall, we were able to speak with about 200+ community members who dropped by!
This event was also in collaboration with Jimmie Williams, a Holden Heights community leader, who was holding a back-to-school supplies drive and invited FCI to collaborate with him. Crazy how some things work out, right?
There was food, music, back-to-school supplies for students, and voter information booths. There was something for everyone, and it was a beautiful way for the community to come together. I could tear up thinking about it!
Check out EveryVote’s webpage where you can see the press release we developed and the pictures we took! We also included a news story written by yours truly, Mariana, about the experience from both the community leaders and FCI.
These past few months, we’ve also been really busy churning out some blog posts and publications:
 | Read Innovating for Impact: Insights from FCI’s Rally Accelerator Experience, a blog post describing what Rich Nguyen, Joel Samuel, and Nick Tayag—student leaders working on the Florida Resource Map (FRM)—learned from attending a Rally Accelerator Workshop in Orlando, Florida. They received advice from mentors Sandi Vidal and Mark Brewer from the Central Florida Foundation, Jack Elkins from A. Duda & Sons, and Rajiv Menon from Informulate, focused on financial sustainability, community impact, and growth. |
 | Leila Ouhri was an intern with FCI and led the public affairs side of SHINE (Stopping Human Trafficking through Industry Networking and Education). She recently developed a Data Visualization project analyzing human trafficking detection data from the Counter-Trafficking Data Collective (CTDC) and the 2022 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (GLOTIP). This project aims to offer a comprehensive overview of human trafficking worldwide. |
 | This past Spring, American University students Julian Baro, Kiersten Comer, Kyla Freeman, and Nakia Robinson researched the implications of the “Don’t Say Gay” law on LGBTQ+ communities in Florida. Julian Baro was invited to a Congressional Briefing on youth mental health, where he highlighted the importance of LGBTQ+ resources in underserved communities, drawing on his research with FCI. Check out this blog post to learn more about the team, the research, the panel discussion, and Julian’s experience! |
 | Flashback to May 2024! FCI hosted a Data Walk in Miami, exploring climate gentrification—community displacement due to rising sea levels. We’ve published a blog post following up to that event. Discover our research, eye-opening data visualizations, and participant reflections. We also include valuable educational resources! |
 | Read Real Talk with Rally Fellows: Caroline Nickerson and Florida Community Innovation where Caroline, FCI’s Executive Director, talks about FCI and its mission with the FRM. Rally supports social entrepreneurs in turning their ideas into sustainable ventures for meaningful change, alongside partners like the Central Florida Foundation. FCI’s Rally venture, the Florida Resource Map, aims to create a user-friendly platform that visualizes essential community resources for Floridians. |
Read below for specific project updates:
FRM: Florida Resource Map
This year, we partnered with the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) College of Community Innovation and Education to pilot our flagship project, the Florida Resource Map (FRM), in the Holden Heights community of Orlando.
We’ve been working with the community workers at the Holden Heights Community Center, Sharon and Henrietta, to better understand how we can improve the map. Henrietta said she is excited to continue experimenting with the FRM, saying “I know we have our work cut out for us, and I’m here for the task.”
We’re currently seeking volunteers to help us with the Map’s development. Get in touch with us at our website.
Additionally, we are acting on a recent report by our American University graduate team, A Deep Dive into the Effects of The Parental Rights in Education Act on LGBTQ+ Communities. Our interns are following up on the report’s recommendations to include more LGBTQ+ organizations on the map. They found that many of these organizations are operating at capacity, so we are looking to collaborate with community foundations statewide to address this gap and direct more resources toward them.
SHINE: Stopping Human Trafficking through Industry Networking and Education
Recently, Caroline Nickerson, our executive director, and Eric Kuo, the current Stopping Human Trafficking through Industry Networking and Education (SHINE) project manager, presented SHINE to Hillsborough County’s Steering Committee on Human Trafficking.
After Juliana Lucas resolved to fight human trafficking with FCI’s civic tech expertise, FCI began a months-long process of research, consultation, and listening with Florida’s anti-HT community organizations and academics. From these partners, we learned about concerns about misinformation in well-intended public-information campaigns and about the unknown contents of many anti-human trafficking employee trainings.
FCI is reaching out to potential collaborators in the hotel industry, academia, and community organizations. Please contact us if you’re interested in contributing. The project will feature a database and badge system where hotels submit their anti-human trafficking training for evaluation. If it meets specific criteria, they will be listed in our database and awarded a mark of excellence.
GRAT: Gentrification Risk Assessment Tool
The Gentrification Risk Assessment Tool (GRAT) is an online tool to monitor gentrification in North Central Florida and will serve as a model for scalable solutions that can assess the risk of gentrification in communities. The GRAT team has been working on developing the tool and is in the final stages before completion!
We’re expecting to launch this tool in spring 2025! The launch will be at Porter’s Quarters Community Farm at 514 SW 3rd St, Gainesville, FL. Be on the lookout on our social media for an official announcement!
If you’re based in Gainesville, feel free to pop by and volunteer at the farm, where you can learn a variety of topics ranging from cultivating produce to the history of the farm and its role in the historic Porter’s Quarters community. The Porter’s Farm welcomes volunteers on Saturday mornings, from 9 AM to 11 AM.
Upcoming FCI events you can attend!
GoBituary Launch
Come join us, on October 25th, at the Miami City Cemetery for the live launching of GoBituary, a community history website for Miami that serves as an on-the-go obituary! There will be two tours: one at 5 PM for families and another at 6:30 PM focused on learning more about the history.
Date: October 25, 2024
Location: Miami City Cemetery
Tours: 5 PM (family-friendly) & 6:30 PM (in-depth)
RSVP: https://historymiami.org/…/miami-city-cemetery-walking…/ (5 PM) & https://historymiami.org/…/annual-miami-city-cemetery…/ (6 PM)
Here’s the press release to share: https://floridainnovation.org/projects/gobituary/
CLEO Climate Change Speakers Network Training
Join us on October 27th at Pascal’s Coffeehouse in Gainesville, FL, to participate in an event that merges climate action, environmental justice, and civic engagement through the CLEO Speakers Network (CSN). Participants will have the opportunity to explore the intersection of critical issues relating to climate change and learn how to take meaningful action in their communities.
Our Executive Director, Caroline Nickerson, will be there leading the participants in a hands-on citizen science project during the event, offering practical experience in contributing to climate and environmental research.
Date: October 27, 2024
Location: Pascal’s Coffeehouse, 112 NW 16 St, Gainesville, FL 32603
Time: 12:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Registration: Secure your spot today. Spots are limited. Registration is required to attend. 
Want to collaborate with FCI?
Go to our home page and scroll down to find sign-up forms if you would like to get involved with FCI: https://floridainnovation.org/. We are always looking for people who want to be a guest speaker, volunteer on projects, or mentor our interns.
- Volunteer with FCI: For professionals who are interested in being involved with our civic tech projects.
- Sign up to be a Mentor: For professionals who are eager to mentor our student interns. Open to anyone passionate about everything from civic tech to marketing to public policy.
- Come be a Guest Speaker: For professionals who want to talk with our students about your experiences, advice, or whatever you’d like to share—we’d love to hear from you!
OR
Donate to FCI: FCI is excited to partner with Tuesday, a fundraising program, to help our community quickly and easily support our mission. Click here to donate (or scan the QR Code)!
Want to spread the word about FCI’s mission and help us find supporters? Use our fundraising toolkit!
Disaster Relief
Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton have been devastating to Florida’s communities, and we want to provide the opportunity to donate to those affected.
Links to donate for Hurricane Milton victims:
Follow Us on Social Media
Instagram: @floridacommunityinnovation
Facebook: Florida Community Innovation
LinkedIn: Florida Community Innovation Foundation
See ya later, alligator!
Co-written by Mariana and Aniqa, the dynamic duo. Catch you next time!
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