Monday July 30th was special day for the city of Akron as NBA star LeBron James opened his new school. I Promise School will be the home for 240 at-risk-youths, with the help of LeBron James and the Akron Public School system it will provide an effective learning environment for the inner city kids regardless of their circumstances. In Late November, LeBron James exercised the option of creating a school for all at-risk-kids to the Akron school board, and they were able to reach a mutual agreement. The I Promise School joined forces with the Akron Public Schools and made it a top priority that the kids will meet the curriculum and academic standards. Over the course of his career, LeBron has been publicly acknowledged for a fair share of his humanitarian initiatives; it is no surprise that we're witnessing the continual imprint he's left on the Akron community.
Photo by: Will Ujek
“Everything these kids are going through — The drugs, the violence, the guns, everything they’re going through as kids, I know. For me to be in a position where I have the resources, the finance, the people, the structure and the city around me — why not?”
What is surprising about the school is how they will operate in comparison to the other schools across the United States. The I Promise School will have a longer school year, primarily emphasizing on accelerating learning for kids who may need the meet the education standards. Also it will include various activities and services that the school will offer to students in hopes to decrease the potential risks of daily struggles kids face outside their classroom environment. Some features the school will provide to families are:
GEDs and Job Placement services for parents
Food pantry for families
Free Uniforms
Free Transportation within 2 miles
Free bicycle
Free tuition
Guarenteed tuition to the Univ. of Akron for every student that graduates
Photo by: @ipromiseschool
“I understand the mental states that goes in with these kids, to where they come from, some of the trials and tribulations that they go through, so I wanted to keep it as consistent and authentic as when I was a kid.”
The LeBron James Family Foundation has been a sole supporter for the kids of Akron. Back in 2015, LeBron announced a community initiative that would pay to send more than 1,000 kids to college. The "Wheel for education "is another program that is funded by LeBron James, which supplies kids with access to school supplies, computers and a bicycle. His aim is to place kids in the perfect position to succeed as students. It’s amazing to witness the stance that LeBron continues to take with regards to our culture, social issues, and community. It reminds us that as athletes we must continue to raise the standards by utilizing our platform to impact lives on a global level; James never fails to disappoint the city of Akron and the community forAfrican-American world leaders.
“You didn’t know what was possible for you, because you always paid attention to the statistics and growing up in the inner city the numbers are always stacked against you.”
Photo by: ESPN
Thanks: @ESPN, @ipromiseschool @klutchsports, @kingjames
Athlete: LeBron James (@kingjames)
Photos: @ipromiseschool, Will Ujek, @ESPN