Lebron James Opens New School for 240 Kids in His Hometown of Akron, Ohio

Lebron James may be leaving Cleveland and heading to the Los Angles to play for the Lakers, but the basketball star is leaving a permanent mark in his hometown  of Akron, Ohio by opening his own public school that will have up to 240 attending.

James’ public school “I Promise” will focus on supporting kids that come from challenging backgrounds. The school will also add grade levels each academic year, and by 2022, the school will educate children in first through eighth grade.

I Promise School started with a partnership between James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools, after the public schools in Akron were having many problems with at-risk students falling behind the rest of the K-12 population.

James’ plans for the school are not to only help students with their education, but provide them support system while they attend the school.

“School is definitely about learning, about strengthening your mind, but more importantly, it’s about the friendship you can create every single day,” James said at the opening on Monday. “They just want to know that someone cares. That’s why we’re doing this today, that’s why we’re going to continue to do things like this.”

The principal for the I Promise School, Brandi Davis, told USA Today, “We are going to be that groundbreaking school that will be a nationally recognized model for urban and public school excellence. We are letting people know it is about true-wrap around support, true family integration, and true compassion.”

The I Promise School will have a curriculum that will focus STEM–science, technology, engineering, and math–which is a curriculum that helps better prepare students for jobs in the future. The school year will run from July 30 through May 17 with students attending weekdays from 9AM to 5PM.

 

 

 

Jessica Watson
Author:
I attend the University of Alabama Birmingham and I am also a writer for a college women's magazine called Her Campus UAB. One of the proudest moments of my life was volunteering for Project Homeless in Birmingham. One thing I can't live without is Nextflix and one of my favorite shows is Stranger Things. When I am not watching Netflix, I like studying astrology and online shopping.