LeBron James Opened A Public School With Free Meals, Bikes, College Tuitions, And It Can Cost Him Over $100 Million
Basketball legend LeBron James has decided to give back to his hometown in a big way. On Monday, July 30th, he unveiled the project he’s been working on for quite some time – a new public school in Akron, Ohio called I Promise. The school, aimed at low-income and at-risk children, was built to change lives and support the community that raised the talented basketball player.
James is all too familiar with the struggle children from these areas face. He was born to a single mother who often struggled to maintain a stable life for her son. When he was in 4th grade, James missed 83 days of school as his mother struggled to find a stable job and place for them to live, moving from couch to couch. Today, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, calls the opening of the I Promise school the greatest moment of his career, because he actively gets to help children receive an education as well as a chance to achieve their dreams.
The I Promise School is far from ordinary. It will have an extended school year which starts in July and ends in May along with an 8 hour school day. It will provide a seven-week summer session with STEM-based camps to help prepare children for future jobs in the technology field. Free breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided for their students. Also, they will be given free bicycles, helmets, uniforms, school supplies and transportation to school. All of these amenities will be provided completely free of charge for those children from low-income families who had fallen behind their peers by a year or two in academic performance. But opportunities don’t just stop at the children. The school will offer GED courses and job placement services for their parents.
As of now the school, the school is starting with 240 third and fourth-grade students but by 2022 they plan to add grades 1st through 8th. For the students who aspire to higher education, James has them covered. The athlete has pledged to cover the full tuition at the University of Akron, for everyone who completes his program and graduates from high-school. This would mean that if all of the potentially 2,300 students graduate, he is looking at an around $100 million bill to send them all to college. Now that’s some serious charity!
More info: lebronjamesfamilyfoundation.org
Basketball legend LeBron James has decided to give back to his hometown in a big way
Image credits: teamjamesfamily
On Monday, July 30th, he unveiled the project he’s been working on for quite some time – a new public school in Akron, Ohio called I Promise
Image credits: IPROMISESchool
The school, aimed at low-income and at-risk children, was built to change lives
James is all too familiar with the struggle children from these areas face
He missed 83 days of school as his mother struggled to find a stable job and place for them to live, moving from couch to couch
Image credits: IPROMISESchool
Today, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, calls the opening of the I Promise school the greatest moment of his career
Image credits: clevelanddotcom
The new public school will provide free breakfast, lunch, and snacks, bicycles, helmets, uniforms, school supplies and transportation to school
Image credits: clevelanddotcom
I promise school is dedicated for children from low-income families who had fallen behind their peers by a year or two in academic performance
Image credits: teamjamesfamily
The athlete has pledged to cover the full tuition at the University of Akron, for everyone who completes his program and graduates from high-school
Image credits: IPROMISESchool
This would mean that if all of the potentially 2,300 students graduate, he is looking at an around $100 million bill to send them all to college
Image credits: IPROMISESchool
Here’s what people had to say about this amazing act of kindness
79Kviews
Share on FacebookWell I'm wrong about Lebron, he's not a self absorbed db only interested in his public perception...he appears truly committed to the betterment of people and I hope these kids return the favor.
Providing supplies and breakfast to the students was standard practice in my country when my parents were kids. I wish they'd kept that up after the regime changed.
These are the type of people we need more of. They have an excess of money and are using it to benefit the community around them
how i wish millionaires like Kim Kardashian, Jefferey star, Kylie Jenner would end up doing such noble acts? society has given somuch to them, now i think they should start giving back society. :)
This is amazing, wonderful! Lebron, you are amazing, a wonderful, excellent human being.
Wow... just wow. This is incredible. Good for him. I wish every state had this. This is incredible!!!
Hey Mr. Scott, What you gonna do, What you gonna do make our dreams come true. Hey Mr. Scott, What you gonna do, What you gonna do make our dreams come true.
Amazing. Just the amount of time, energy, money that this cost him is remarkable. I applaud him for endeavoring on such an enormous task and I hope this might be start of celebrities doing other such things. Millionaires are not obligated to part with their money but it would be awesome if they could help in these types of ways because it improves the community in so many ways and they circumvent government regulations and bureaucracy.
It's been a few days and more details are coming out. I wonder how many of the "facts" about this school will continue to change.
A four year university degree is important if one is looking to obtain a career in (the much in-demand) engineering, medicine, dentistry, and nursing. I hope this school also brings technical schools, trade schools as an alternative to the university. Mike Rowe would agree.
In Sweden, Finland, and Estonia, all school children eat a cooked lunch in school, regardless of how much, or little, their parents earn. In these countries, that is part of what being a school is about. Healthy eating habits are for life. RESPECT to LeBron James!
Don't get too crazy. "LJFF and Akron Public Schools (APS) announced a partnership to design a new Akron public school, called the I PROMISE School (IPS)." It's a public school & I'm sure he is doing great things to support it but the taxpayers support public schools and are ultimately on the hook for the expenses.
But at the same time, with the public school, also job positions opened too. And not to mention the huge cultural impact education can have im general. It's like the famous proverb "Give a man a fish, you feed him for one day, teach a man how to catch a fish, you feed him for a lifetime". I don't mind paying taxes if it's for a good cause and the visual benefit for the whole community.
Load More Replies...Well I'm wrong about Lebron, he's not a self absorbed db only interested in his public perception...he appears truly committed to the betterment of people and I hope these kids return the favor.
Providing supplies and breakfast to the students was standard practice in my country when my parents were kids. I wish they'd kept that up after the regime changed.
These are the type of people we need more of. They have an excess of money and are using it to benefit the community around them
how i wish millionaires like Kim Kardashian, Jefferey star, Kylie Jenner would end up doing such noble acts? society has given somuch to them, now i think they should start giving back society. :)
This is amazing, wonderful! Lebron, you are amazing, a wonderful, excellent human being.
Wow... just wow. This is incredible. Good for him. I wish every state had this. This is incredible!!!
Hey Mr. Scott, What you gonna do, What you gonna do make our dreams come true. Hey Mr. Scott, What you gonna do, What you gonna do make our dreams come true.
Amazing. Just the amount of time, energy, money that this cost him is remarkable. I applaud him for endeavoring on such an enormous task and I hope this might be start of celebrities doing other such things. Millionaires are not obligated to part with their money but it would be awesome if they could help in these types of ways because it improves the community in so many ways and they circumvent government regulations and bureaucracy.
It's been a few days and more details are coming out. I wonder how many of the "facts" about this school will continue to change.
A four year university degree is important if one is looking to obtain a career in (the much in-demand) engineering, medicine, dentistry, and nursing. I hope this school also brings technical schools, trade schools as an alternative to the university. Mike Rowe would agree.
In Sweden, Finland, and Estonia, all school children eat a cooked lunch in school, regardless of how much, or little, their parents earn. In these countries, that is part of what being a school is about. Healthy eating habits are for life. RESPECT to LeBron James!
Don't get too crazy. "LJFF and Akron Public Schools (APS) announced a partnership to design a new Akron public school, called the I PROMISE School (IPS)." It's a public school & I'm sure he is doing great things to support it but the taxpayers support public schools and are ultimately on the hook for the expenses.
But at the same time, with the public school, also job positions opened too. And not to mention the huge cultural impact education can have im general. It's like the famous proverb "Give a man a fish, you feed him for one day, teach a man how to catch a fish, you feed him for a lifetime". I don't mind paying taxes if it's for a good cause and the visual benefit for the whole community.
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