LeBron James has been called many things, both good and bad. But no one can deny his commitment to education, the community and the youth, and on Tuesday he strengthened those commitments by announcing that he would be founding a new public school in his hometown of Akron, OH.
Through a partnership between his foundation, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and Akron Public Schools, King James once again proved his belief in education and loyalty and devotion to his hometown, going beyond paying for scholarships by actually establishing a new public school.
The new “I Promise” school is slated to open in the fall of 2018, and by the sounds of things, James can’t wait.
Probably about 20 minutes ago, when I was sitting in my home, I was just talking to my wife, and I was just like I cant believe I have my own school,
LeBron reflected on his childhood in Akron during a ceremony announcing the new school.
As a kid, myself, growing up in this city, I was very lucky. And the reason I say I was very lucky even though I was underprivileged, I was very lucky because I had some mentors, I had a mother, I had some friends, and we all had the same thing in mind. They just would not let me go off course. The other side of that is a lot of the kids I see today in this community and all over the world, are not lucky enough to have the same mentors, and have the same people around that can help their dreams become reality. For us to be able to do something like this, and bring this today to these kids, that gives these kids the infrastructure, and gives them the mentors, the leaders, and the people that are gonna be around them every day on a day to day basis that can make their dreams become reality, thats what means more to me than anything.
The school promises to address the need to focus on two important elements- family and a curriculum with a heavy emphasis on STEM. Per the LJFF:
The LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools have partnered to design a brand new school for the public school students in Akron who need it most. A culmination of years of on-the-ground work and research-based interventions through LeBrons I PROMISE program, the proposed I PROMISE School will be more than a 1st – 8th grade academic institution. It will infuse APSs rigorous curriculum with a STEM, hands-on, problem-based learning focus with LJFFs We Are Family philosophy to create a complete wraparound for its students and their families.
A year after bringing Cleveland it’s first Championship, LeBron is now bringing even more valuable things to his hometown- education and opportunity.
