In 2007, IBIM Institute—“I Believe In Me”—was born from the unwavering vision of Founder and President Adella M. Dixon, MSW. For more than two decades, Mrs. Dixon stood on the front lines of child welfare as a:

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• Child Welfare Training Specialist

• Child Welfare Caseworker

• Family Advocate Specialist

• Family Group Manager

• In‑Home Services Worker

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Through every home visit, every family meeting, every moment of crisis and breakthrough, she witnessed something profound: when a family discovers its own strength, transformation begins. Her work taught her that single‑mother households carry a quiet power—one that often goes unrecognized, especially by the daughters growing up within them.

 

But one pattern troubled her deeply, too many young girls were struggling to see their own worth. That realization ignited the spark that became the IBIM Institute—a self‑esteem enhancement program designed to help young ladies rise, heal, and grow by strengthening the bond with their mother or caregiver. IBIM became a place where confidence is cultivated, identity is affirmed, and generational strength is awakened.

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Then, in 2011, something unexpected happened. Many of the girls entering her after‑school programs were scholar‑athletes from Imani Christian Academy—young women who walked with confidence, pride, and a clear sense of who they were becoming. Their presence was electric. Curious, Mrs. Dixon asked sixteen of them—middle and high school basketball players—to answer one simple but powerful question:

 

“Why am I happy with myself?”

 

Their answers revealed a truth she could not ignore. Being mentally and physically fit had become a training ground for life.

 

• It taught them confidence.

• It taught them leadership.

• It taught them how to push through adversity and rise again.

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These were the very qualities she longed to see in the daughters of the families she served. With that revelation, a new chapter unfolded. Her husband, Tru Dixon—affectionately known as Coach Tru—stepped in with more than forty years of counseling, mentoring, teaching, coaching, and youth development.

His life’s work aligned perfectly with IBIM’s mission, and together they expanded the Institute to include a summer basketball fitness program—one that strengthens the body, sharpens the mind, and builds the kind of confidence that lasts a lifetime.

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Today, IBIM Institute stands as a testament to what happens when vision meets purpose, when experience meets compassion, and when a community decides to invest in the brilliance of its daughters. It is more than a program. It is a movement. A legacy. A declaration that every young lady deserves to believe in herself—and to rise.​​