Young people have always been at the forefront of social change and history from the sit-ins at lunch counters to the marches during the Civil Rights Movement. We're committed to finding and training the next generation of leaders who will make the world great. Whether you're 13 or 30, you can make a difference!

Talented Tenth High School Tour
Inspired by the words of W.E.B. DuBois, Tavis Smiley's Talented Tenth High School Tour was created to identify and train non-traditional leaders in underserved and underrepresented communities. The goal of this 10-city tour is to enlighten, encourage and empower young people to develop the skills needed to become powerful leaders in their school, community and the world. Tavis Smiley, founder and president of the Tavis Smiley Foundation (TSF), shares what he has learned about strong leaders and engages students in conversations to discover their priorities and motivate them to action. Teachers and students will receive a Youth to Leaders Toolkit of resources. Click here to learn more.

Tavis Smiley Foundation Leadership Institute
The Tavis Smiley Foundation Leadership Institute is a national five-day interactive leadership curriculum that trains youth to meet the challenges in their communities. It enables young people who aspire to lead learn skills common to effective leaders. Leadership participants learn to assess their strengths and weaknesses, review models of leadership, develop strategic plans, collect and analyze data, set goals, communicate effectively to build networks, examine legislation and public policy, and use technology to demonstrate learning. Click here to learn more.

Tavis Smiley Foundation Leadership Institute Tour
The Institute Road Tour takes our core group of youth trainers and the Leadership Institute curriculum across the United States to conduct a two-day version of the Institute with other young people. The core trainers consist of the National Youth Advisory Council (14 youth and seven adults representing nine geographic regions in the U.S.) TSF establishes formal partnerships with other similar non-profit organizations to provide leadership and advocacy training at their youth conferences. Click here to learn more.

Youth to Leaders (Y2L) Ventures
To help youth receive funding for community service projects they develop at the TSF Leadership Institute and the 2003 Youth to Leaders National Summit, the Tavis Smiley Foundation partnered with Youth Ventures, a non profit organization dedicated to promoting youth led social entrepreneurial projects. The primary outcome for participants of the Leadership Institute programs is to develop a project that they can implement in their own communities. After developing a working model of a community-focused project, each Y2L Youth Ventures team receives a $1,000 grant to implement the project. Click here to learn more.

Salute to Youth Leadership Gala
A lavish and exclusive affair, the Salute to Youth Leadership Dinner and Gala celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of young leaders and pioneers in youth development while raising money to support the Tavis Smiley Foundation's leadership development programs for African American youth. The annual five-course dinner for 100 is hosted by a celebrity and presented by an African-American executive chef. Click here to learn more.

Smiley Scholars
The Tavis Smiley Foundation provides scholarships to its program participants who have demonstrated outstanding academic excellence, leadership and service to the community. Past recipients have attended Morehouse College, Yale University and Howard University. Click here to learn more.