The Leathernecks are fully turning over the program to the highest-rated recruiting class in school history. Read about our approach to external linking. Rumour: Raptors could play 2021 home games in... Louisville? "So many kids like myself have dreams. In 2019, LeBron helped build transitional housing for families whose children attend the I Promise School and are experiencing homelessness or struggle to have stable, safe housing. In 2015, James announced an initiative that would pay for more than 1,000 kids to attend college. pic.twitter.com/Mfnlym0Y8w, The @LJFamFoundation's I Promise School opens in Akron Monday. LeBron James started the I PROMISE school back in 2018 to help at-risk kids in Akron, Ohio. "There were just a lot of empty days, empty nights and just kind of a no-future thought process. "For kids in general, all they want to know is that someone cares. “Because our students come to school and they’re worried about things at home. That’s when Kushner said the players should reach out to Trump and work with the president, and he continued with this: “What I would say is, look, LeBron James also opened a phenomenal charter school, which is making a big difference in Cleveland. The LeBron James Family Foundation has been involved in helping Akron and its surrounding areas for years. The school board oversaw the creation of the curriculum and ensured the school would meet educational standards, while LeBron served as the primary donor to help shape the outside-the-classroom goals of the school. The 33-year-old, who recently moved from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year contract worth $154m (£116m), hopes the school will help kids who are falling behind in education and struggling at home. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Kushner is wrong — at least about James opening up a charter school. It's incredible what they can do when they feel that support.". No kid at eight, nine should have that stress... so I know exactly what a lot of these kids are going through.". #ReachHigher #BetterMakeRoom pic.twitter.com/hyS6UM2A7b. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Reporter covering education, foreign affairs, Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events. … We want to create that safe, that secure and that caring and loving environment for our families and our students so that our kids can focus on education.”. According to the school's master plan, a STEM-based curriculum supported by a $2 million budget allows for "rigorous problem-based, inquiry-oriented learning" (via The Atlantic). I think, look, if LeBron James reached out to the White House and our people reached out to him, we are happy to talk with him and say, ‘Look, let’s both agree on what we want to accomplish and let’s come up with a common pathway to get there.’ ”. The school will also provide services to families, which include job placement assistance for parents and an on-site food bank from which parents can take food to prepare at home. Their journey, alongside James' vision for a more holistic and equitable form of education, is at the center of one of Quibi's latest shows, I Promise. ❤️ #WeAreFamily pic.twitter.com/Gitytnq31t. The school will operate with a longer-than-normal school year, with a focus on accelerated learning to bring kids up to speed who otherwise might be lagging. Our #IPROMISE School Staff are gathering all around the school to greet @KingJames kids as they arrive for the 1️⃣st day at 9am! Although the school is currently open only to third- and fourth-grade students, classes will expand from first to eighth grade by 2022, James told CNN. Trump has attacked James on Twitter: In 2018, the president questioned James’s intelligence. LeBron James opened a public school in Akron for at-risk kids. Several public figures praised James for his work, including former first lady Michelle Obama, who called him, James, who has given millions to the project, told CNN, "We want every kid to walk through this school to be inspired, to come ... away with something. Both district and charter schools are funded by the public, but charters are run independently of districts, sometimes by for-profit companies. The sometimes-turbulent home lives of I Promise's students run parallel to James' childhood struggles with homelessness and inconsistent access to education. Tennis great Andre Agassi, and musicians Pitbull and Sean “Diddy” Combs, for example. I appreciate that.”, As for losing Trump as an NBA viewer, James said, “I really don’t think the basketball community are sad about losing his viewership.”. AKRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS From kindergarten through eighth grade, LeBron James was an Akron Public School student. The NBA superstar created the school as an extension of the LeBron James Family Foundation to give kids opportunities to thrive despite difficult life situations. Most do not have to be as transparent with the public about their operations as do school districts, and many have closed for financial and other problems. One of the topics they discussed was the decision by National Basketball Association players to opt out of a playoff game on Wednesday night in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wis. Blake was shot seven times in the back as he was returning to his car, where three of his sons sat. @KingJames . This content was paid for by Quibi and created by Looper. There will be a focus on hands-on STEM education, with an emphasis on developing problem-solving skills, according to the. (CNN)Some people call LeBron James the GOAT for his prowess on the basketball court. (CNN) Some people call LeBron James the GOAT for his prowess on the basketball court. James recently responded to those remarks and Trump’s comments that has done more for the Black community than any president except, perhaps, Abraham Lincoln. LeBron James launches new 'I Promise' school, Guaranteed tuition for all graduates to the University of Akron. ", The real reason LeBron James opened the I Promise School, © 2020 Looper.com. In that way, the stories of these young people reveal why the NBA icon has made reimagining education one of his biggest philanthropic focuses. This time last year, the students at the school — Mr. James… Students will also have a later start time for school days and more staggered breaks in order to promote year-round education. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. People are going to finally understand what goes on behind our doors. We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. Unlike similar educational efforts from big donors or celebrities, James' school doesn't offer a private or charter education. In November 2017, the LeBron James Family Foundation approached the Akron school board about assisting in the creation of a school designed to help at-risk kids who are lagging behind in their studies and struggling at home. I want people to know that these kids should still have the same opportunity as everybody else. .@KingJames. pic.twitter.com/aZGthMCEBv, A post shared by Sports Blog Nation (@sbnation) on Jul 30, 2018 at 8:42am PDT. See our, Read a limited number of articles each month, You consent to the use of cookies and tracking by us and third parties to provide you with personalized ads, Unlimited access to washingtonpost.com on any device, Unlimited access to all Washington Post apps, No on-site advertising or third-party ad tracking. "Everything and more. Michele Campbell, the executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, told The New York Times, "We understand that if you send a child home with no dinner or let a child leave school without knowing where they're going to sleep that night, there's no way that child is going to learn.". But then he’s backing people who want … to close down charter schools. Always. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. At LeBron James’s I Promise School, it was just Monday. James says having a bike was a huge factor in his childhood as it offered him an escape from dangerous parts of his neighbourhood and the freedom to explore. "-@KingJames pic.twitter.com/VY8kOu47iB. NBA superstar LeBron James has proved he's a role model both on and off the basketball court by opening a school for underprivileged children. What James did do in 2018 was help open a new school in the Akron district in Ohio where he went to school.