The Texas Tea

One day, while driving her daughter home from kindergarten, Jillian ‘JJ’ Simmon asked her what she had learned at school. From the backseat, her daughter excitedly recalled subtraction lessons, storytime, music class, and that Justin Bieber had gone to jail. Shocked by this culture lesson that was not a part of the school curriculum, JJ realized that children learn from their classmates as much as from their teachers. Concerned about a lack of good role models at school, JJ started the I’m Me Foundation.

The I’m Me Foundation empowers girls to serve as role models for future generations of young women. 12 years ago, the foundation began hosting after-school programs for underserved schools. These one-day programs, called the “I’m Me Tour,” featured community speakers presenting on goal setting, healthy lifestyle, etiquette, and robotics. These tours often feature activities alongside presentations. While learning about robotics, girls would build and program a robot and design clothes for it. Then, at the end of the program, students would host a fashion show, walking their creations down the runway in a way that combines STEM and the arts. These programs create a safe space to learn about topics not addressed in the traditional classroom. Today, the I’m Me Foundation hosts programs for social media use and safety, creative writing and podcasting, communication, mental health, teen dating abuse, and much more.

JJ is a mom, veteran radio host, MDiv student at Fuller Seminary, 3 time author, and founder of the I’m MeFoundation.  But feeling confident to lead in this calling has been a journey. One breakthrough revelation came in Dr. Mareque Ireland’s missiology class– that JJ’s foundation work is missional work! It may sound

simple when said out loud, but because JJ doesn’t preach or say the name of Jesus during her programs, she had never considered it ‘kingdom’ work. But her foundation serves as the hands and feet of Jesus– loving students, providing hygiene essentials, and teaching them their identity and value as people. Since understanding that, JJ has realized how God responds to her prayers for the organization. Creative presentation topics, wisdom for how to run the organization, financial provision, and the opportunity to teach at every school have been God’s favor. This past month, Fuller Texas joined the I’m Me Foundation at Kindred Stories for a Juneteenth celebration and reading of “They Built Me For Freedom: A Story Of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park” with author Tonya Ellis (see a recap of the celebration here). If readers want to support the I’m Me Foundation, they can visit their website at https://immefoundation.org/ for volunteer and donation opportunities.