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In Akron, Ohio, it is the first day of school for 240 at-risk students who will attend the inaugural year of the I Promise School – and all thanks to LeBron James. The NBA superstar has created the school as an extension of the LeBron James Family Foundation to give children opportunities to flourish despite difficult living situations.
"I know these children, basically more than they know each other. I walked those same streets. I've been riding the same bikes in the streets where they ride. I have experienced the same emotions – the good, the bad, the adversity. All these kids are going through – the drugs, the violence, the guns, everything they live as kids, I know. For me to be in a position where I have the resources, the finances, the people, the structure and the city around me – why not?
How did LeBron start his own public school?
The LeBron James Family Foundation asked the Akron School Board to help set up a school designed to help children at risk who are falling behind in their studies and who are struggling at home
Foundation and Akron Public Schools The school board oversaw the creation of the curriculum and ensured that the school meets the educational standards, while LeBron served as the main donor to help shape the goals of the school outside the clbadroom
The school will work with a school year longer than normal, with a focus on accelerated learning to get kids up a gear that might otherwise be lagging behind. focus on the fight against factors outside the clbadroom that may cause problems for children.
Services are offered to help students overcome the stress of parents struggling to make ends meet. In addition, there are activities to prevent children from having too much free time and getting in trouble.
The school also offers family services, including a placement aid for parents and an on-site food bank LeBron James often credits his bicycle with a huge factor in his childhood that allowed him to stay in school. escape dangerous places of his neighborhood and freedom to explore – each student will receive a bicycle when they arrive.
Principal Brandi Davis explained the goals of the Promise School at the Los Angeles Times:
"I think the missing link in public education is this wraparound family support," said Brandi Davis, director of l & # 39; school. "Because our students come to school and worry about things at home … We want to create this safe, secure and loving environment for our families and students so our kids can focus on education. "
Did LeBron James ever help with education before?
The LeBron James The Family Foundation has helped Akron and surrounding areas for years. In 2015, he announced an initiative that would allow more than 1,000 young people to attend university.
LeBron also funded the "Wheels for Education" program which began in 2011 and provides children with school supplies, a computer and a bicycle. inside a system designed to keep children motivated to do their homework and get good grades
Are there pictures of the school?
Absolutely, and it looks amazing. @LJFamFoundation Promise School opens today in Akron. In the lobby are 114 gaming shoes that people have bought with a shoe coming here, the buyer keeping the other and all the money going to school. pic.twitter.com/Mfnlym0Y8w
– Will Ujek (@WillUjek) July 30, 2018