He changed the game, now he’s changing the lives of at-risk youth in Akron, Ohio.

 

July 30th marks the day that the doors of the I Promise School opened to 240 third and fourth graders. NBA star Lebron James wanted to give back to the children from his hometown; a place where he missed 83 days of school in the fourth grade due to his family not having transportation. Additionally, the L.A. Times points out that Akron schools are, “some of the lowest-performing in Ohio.”

 

Lebron has been a flawless figure in both the education and the activism field. In 2015, he partnered with the University of Akron and JPMorgan Chase to award four-year scholarships to students, making attending college possible in otherwise impossible circumstances. He also spends over 1 million dollars a year encouraging elementary schoolers’ interest in attending school, providing adults with college resources, and funding programs for computer science.

Students attending The I Promise School are generously provided with free tuition, uniforms, breakfast, lunch and snacks, transportation within 2 miles, bicycles and helmets, access to a food pantry for their family, and guaranteed tuition for all graduates to the University of Akron. In any other circumstance, these tools for success would be insurmountable. Additionally, parents of the students receive job placement training and assistance in obtaining their GEDs. When students and adults are encouraged and blessed with opportunities for education and success, personal wellbeing undoubtedly follows.

The I Promise School is shaping the future of education by fostering positive spirit and can-do attitudes as well as cultivating an environment where students are excited to learn every day. The learning climate and curriculum is structured to emphasize the development of problem solving skills and proficiency within a hands-on STEM focused education.

 

How was the inaugural class chosen? According to USA Today, the school selected students from Akron that were at least a year or two behind their peers in academic performance. Keith Liechty, the Akron Public Schools’ liaison to James’ foundation told USA Today that they “did a random selection of all students who met that criteria, and got to make these awesome phone calls to parents and say, ‘How would you like to be a part of something different, the I Promise School?’” The school plans to add grade levels each academic year, and by 2022, it is expected to educate children in first through eighth grades.

 

“I want people to know that these kids should still have the same opportunity as everybody else. That’s what’s most important. Us as adults, we have a responsibility to not let these kids down, to continue to be the teachers, the mentors, the parents, the coaching, the life skills, the superheroes … whatever it is that gives the inspiration, everything, that’s our responsibility. These kids are our future and they have dreams and aspirations bigger than the city of Akron, than the state of Ohio, than the USA,” Lebron says.  

 

Thanks to philanthropic leaders like Lebron James, the lives of these children have been turned around and they now have the chance to learn and grow within a positive school environment. Lebron James has undeniably made his mark by creating a school that brings us one step closer to a #FlawlessWorld!