Despite being one of the most accomplished athletes of all time, LeBron James was recently told by a journalist to just "shut up and dribble." It happened when he decided to talk politics and the Fox News reporter said: "This is what happens when you attempt to leave high school early, to join the NBA."
Her remarks were not only unkind but inaccurate since James did, in fact, finish high school. Not to mention, he's also made recently made headlines, but not for his recent choice to depart the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, James has a new endeavor, which he calls the most important accomplishment of his career…
James and his foundation, The LeBron James Family Foundation has opened a new school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. It's specifically targeted towards low-performing students by identifying a pool of at-risk children and hosting a lottery to decide who gets in. Named, the I Promise School, it sends an important message to students that, "We are family." "I think that's what kids ultimately want, they just want someone to feel like someone cares about them. And that's what we're trying to do here," James said. The school is close to James' heart as he knows what it's like to be an at-risk student…. When James was in the fourth grade, he missed 83 days of school while he and his mother moved from one couch or spare room to the next. James credits mentors, some of whom he met at school, with a turnaround that helped him attend every day of fifth grade, according to TIME.com.
"Growing up in the inner city, the numbers are always stacked up against you. So you didn't really know what was possible. I think what happened for me was that I got some mentors and little league coaches and some teachers that I kind of started to believe in. And they started to make my dreams feel like they could actually become a reality," James explained to ESPN. Now, around 240 third and fourth-graders will make up the inaugural class at the I Promise School, which opened the last week of July 2018. The unique school is a public school created in collaboration between Akron Public Schools and James' philanthropic foundation. James called the school's opening the greatest of his career. "Walking these hallways and seeing, when I was driving here, just the streets that I walked, some of the stores are still up when I was growing up," he told ESPN. "It's a moment I'll never forget- and hopefully the kids, starting with the 240 kids that we have going in here right now starting today, will never forget it, either."
As opposed to supporting a private school, or a charter school, James has added to the resources of Akron, instead of diminishing them. While celebrities often back charter schools, James made a point of giving Akron a new public school. "It's not a charter school, it's not a private school, it's a real-life school in my hometown," James said. The school selected area students who trail their peers by a year or two in academic performance. "We did a random selection of all students who met the criteria, and got to make these awesome phone calls to parents and say, 'How would you like to be a part of something different?'" Forty-three staff members will help run the school, including, teachers, a principal, assistant principal, four intervention specialists, a tutor, English as a second language teacher, music instructor, and gym teacher. The classrooms will hold 20 students per teacher and 12 teachers have been hired for the 2018-2019 school year.
Its offerings include a long school day (from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.), and a school year lasting from July 30-May 17. There will also be a seven-week summer school in which the school will provide STEM classes (science, technology, engineering, and math). Students will spend time each day in social-emotional learning and participate in a "supportive circle" after lunch. This support system is aimed at helping them refocus on work. Nutrition is also part of the school's focus and each day students will receive free breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks. James prioritizes food because he knows that fueling the body keeps the mind sharp. "I remember when I was a kid, my attention span- I mean, you can have me for a little bit, but you have to keep me engaged. I think obviously fueling these kids and giving them food and breakfast and lunch and a snack- but just keeping them here under our support…[to] not feel stressed and feel like they're family. That's what we want to create," James told ESPN.
The I Promise School is aesthetically beautiful as well and it includes a high-tech media lab that mirrors a television studio with live broadcasting capabilities. The lab will enable the students to broadcast daily school updates while learning the latest technology. James even provided each new student with a bicycle and helmet. In addition to the academic program, the I Promise School will use a "trauma-informed" approach to engage students by showing them a safe and supportive environment. The students' daily time for social-emotional learning will help them develop habits of promise, belonging and a sense of community. But kids aren't the only ones benefiting from James' school…What makes the I Promise School unique is that the parents and caregivers of the students also receive academic, career, and emotional support that they need to ensure a better life. GED classes and job placement assistance are available to parents and guardians.
If I Promise School students successfully complete the school program and graduate from high school, James will cover their full tuition at the local public college, University of Akron. James partnered with the school in 2015 to provide this incredible gift to students…The Akron school district expects to spend a total of $8.1 million over the next five years for the I Promise School, according to a report in Akron's Beacon Journal. James' family foundation will cover the costs of other extra school features and with its partners, it's already contributed $2 million. The money has gone towards building upgrades, extra staffing, and other needs. By 2022, the school hopes to house grades first through eighth and will have nearly 1,000 students. The Lebron James Family Foundation writes…
"As the culmination of many years of on-the-ground work and research-based interventions, IPS will take everything that's worked to motivate, educate, and inspire students in Akron and turn it into a brick and mortar school tailored just for them. It will be a place where students are supported and challenged. And it will be a complete wraparound for not just the child, but for the entire family." LeBron James called the opening of the I Promise School, the most important accomplishment of his career, according to Business Insider. "In addition to improving his hometown community, his commitment could change a generation and perhaps start a new trend among athletes," the site wrote.