The Stone Soup Leadership Institute (SSLI) is a pioneer in recognizing grassroot leaders and developing educational tools, training programs and public/private partnerships based upon their innovative good works that build a safer world. Founded in 1997, the Institute is a 501c3 global education organization that provides technical assistance and strategic support for youth-community initiatives in the Islands of Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, Vieques and the Philippines and multicultural inner-cities like Oakland. The Institute's Honorary Chairman Walter Cronkite leads a prestigous International Advisory Council including Muhammed Yunus winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize www.soup4world.com.

The Institute's educational curriculum is based on the book, Stone Soup for the World: Life-Changing Stories of Everyday Heroes (Pan Y Vino Para El Camino) by the Institute's Founding Director Marianne Larned. The curriculum was designed to provide comprehensive long-term systemic educational leadership development training. It has been used in diverse settings in 120 communities around the world to encourage critical thinking skills and enhance the learning of middle, high school and college students and develop youth leaders who are prepared to build a more sustainable world.

Piloted by the YMCA – with college and high school students mentoring, tutoring, volunteering with younger students, it has been used by the Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Club, churches and other after-school programs, as well as by numerous schools and colleges to enhance cultural and language arts, social studies, character education and leadership development and entrepreneurship.

The Institute's global demonstration project is the Vieques Youth Leadership Initiative: www.vyli.com