Our Story
The Smile On Me I See
The Smile On Me I See is a thriving community that consistently celebrates, uplifts, and champions girls, ensuring they can lead a safe and healthy life. With a strong focus on advocating for girls in under-resourced communities, we remain inclusive, welcoming all who seek support.
The Smile On Me I see has a mission so impactful that it shifts the culture of girlhood around the world. It’s a community dedicated to providing essential resources, organizing empowering workshops, and bringing together girls from all walks of life to encourage their personal growth and exploration.
- Dre Thomas, Founder & CEO
June, 2017
Smile On Me Launch
The first-ever Smile On Me donation drive was a huge success. Hosted at Franklin Park in Brooklyn, we collected more than 500 products. That year we also hosted our first girl workshop where a panel of women shared about their journey from girlhood to womanhood. Each girl left with a bag filled with hygiene products.
July 14, 2018: First-Annual Summit
We gathered together girls throughout New York City for a day of workshops that included zine-making, meditating, and a girl-lead panel on healthy relationships. We raised $2,350 (47% of our fundraising goal) for this event and received a $1,000 donation from our friends at Birchbox.
October 11, 2018: International Day of the Girl event
We hosted a Day of the Girl event at Jolie Studio in Brooklyn to celebrate all girls! Here girls got to hear from inspiring women, connect with their peers, and share why they love being a girl.
April 16, 2019: City Year Partnership
We partnered with City Year to host a workshop at one of their schools in Harlem. We focused on self-care and introduced girls to the power of affirmations.
July, 2019
Second annual Summit
We hosted our second annual Summit at Jolie Studio in Brooklyn. Girls got to participate in workshops like healthy habits, period power, and yoga.
September 30, 2019: Bustle Partnership
We were selected as Bustle’s Local Non-profit partner and received a $10,000 donation.
December 11, 2019
We hosted our first speed mentoring night where girls got to chat with Glossier employees and learn the ins & outs of the business. Girls also got the tour the amazing office space and take home a few products.
April 14, 2020: Tiny Talks
In light of the Global Pandemic, we launched our first digital program called Tiny Talks, an online conversation series where girls can talk about big topics in a small and intimate setting. Tiny Talks topics include period power, skincare, mental health, body positivity, and more. Girls who participated also received products that were shipped to their homes.
July 25, 2020
We hosted our third annual Summit—online. We had more than 100 girls sign up to participate from states like Maryland, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and more. Although we weren’t able to meet in person, we were able to ship out all the materials girls needed for each workshop along with hygiene products provided by our sponsors. We were able to bring this event to life because of a $10,000 donation from our sponsor, Aerie.
October 11, 2020
We launched our very own members-only club called Homeroom. Created out of the ordinary, this club is a place where girls can thrive in their comfort zones, discover the remarkable, and kick off their shoes and stay awhile.