For all he’s accomplished on the court, LeBron James further cemented his legacy as a human being and pioneer off of it with the opening of the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio. The public school was built as a partnership between Akron Public Schools and the LeBron James Family Foundation.
It opened this week to 240 at-risk students from Akron and in the third or fourth grade, with plans to expand to a school that houses roughly 1,000 kids, grades first through eight.
Beyond the I Promise School having backing from James, it’s unique in nearly every sense. School days run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., July through May, with the extended hours aimed at further teaching and protecting students from possibly falling victim to their environment.
During the seven weeks school is not in session, STEM camps will be offered.
Furthermore, each student is provided breakfast, lunch and a snack each day. Busing transportation is provided for those who live more than two miles from campus, tuition is free, uniforms are provided at no cost, students receive a free bike and helmet, and various support systems are in place for families.
Perhaps most impressively, students who are in the I Promise program and meet set criteria when they graduate from high school, are guaranteed a four-year scholarship to the University of Akron.
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