About the Founder
Carrington ‘Simone’ Hodge is a junior at the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School (JCIB). She currently serves as the Vice President of the JCIB Black Student Union, as well as the Teen Corresponding Secretary of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Birmingham Chapter. At school, she is also a member of HOSA-Future Health Professionals, Mu Alpha Theta, French Club, and has served as a Freshman Mentor since her sophomore year. For her excellence in academic achievement, she was recently named a 2021-2022 Scholar for the CollegeBoard National African American Recognition Program.
Carrington began dancing at 3 years old when she fell in love with the art. Since the age of 10, Carrington has danced competitively in Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, and Hip Hop with Birmingham Dance Theatre. She has received numerous awards and convention scholarships over the years. Some of her favorite competitions are West Coast Dance Explosion, Hollywood Vibe, and 24 SEVEN Dance Convention.
Carrington is also involved with YouthServe Birmingham, where she has accumulated more than 150 hours of community service. Last year, she served on their Youth Action Council, and she will serve on their Youth Philanthropy Council this school year.
After high school, Carrington aspires to study Neuroscience and African American Studies on a pre-medical track, and she wishes to continue dancing on a university’s dance team.
How ‘Unmasked: The Simone Project’ began
“Unmasked: The Simone Project” began as a community service project through YouthServe Birmingham’s Youth Action Council. Carrington’s small group was tasked with creating a project centered around education in schools, and they decided to approach this subject by addressing topics such as minority history, social justice, and current events that may be uncomfortable to study in a classroom environment. With six other students from the Birmingham area, she helped create the “.EDU Resource Website,” which was completed in May 2021. Once the website was established, Carrington was given permission by YouthServe and her peers to oversee the website as a personal project, marking the beginning of “Unmasked: The Simone Project.
Our Mission & Vision
“Unmaked: The Simone Project strives to promote social justice and minority history in classroom settings, leading to the cultivation of a more compassionate and inclusive generation. We believe that knowledge and awareness are key factors in the promotion of national change, and we are devoted to serve as a platform for the voices which are often neglected. “