A civic crisis rooted in geographic and historical inequity.

Civic life in the American South is deteriorating. The region has the highest poverty levels and the lowest voter turnout, with civic education often being neglected. Since the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder ruling, more than 1,000 polling places have closed, primarily in communities of color. These aren’t isolated failures. They signal a deeper crisis of identity and belonging in public life.

At the Smiley Institute, we don’t see this crisis as a void but as an invitation. We believe the South holds the spiritual and cultural inheritance necessary for civic renewal. Our work brings together soul, story, and strategy to restore connection, affirm dignity, and ignite civic purpose. We don’t just teach how democracy works, we help people find where they belong in it.

The Smiley Institute is a nonprofit organization based in the American South that aims to advance civic education by cultivating soulful, creative, and civically grounded leaders who heal, imagine, and transform the communities around them. We serve communities too often left at the margins of both policy and possibility by equipping leaders to engage in public life with purpose, creativity, and courage.

Our Mission

We envision a world where education awakens the soul, leadership centers humanity, and democracy becomes a shared work of justice, creativity, and care. In this world, every person feels seen, every story holds power, and every community thrives through conscious, courageous participation.

Our Vision

Our Model

We operate at the intersection of Soul, Story & Strategy.

Soul Work

We nurture leaders' interior lives through practices that ground their civic identity in purpose, ancestry, and reflection.

Creative Expression

We make space for civic imagination through storytelling, performance, visual arts, and design thinking.

Civic Leadership

We equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools to act boldly within institutions and public life.

Pillars of Impact

  • Understanding the enduring questions, challenges, and aspirations that shape American democracy

  • Cultivating empathy, resilience, and self-awareness as foundations for authentic leadership

  • Harnessing art and storytelling to spark critical dialogue and deepen civic imagination

  • Fostering civic responsibility through personal agency and a commitment to the common good

  • Equipping leaders with tools for policy impact, coalition-building, and public innovation