Fit for a King
James opens ‘I Promise School’ in hometown Akron, Ohio
LeBron James left Ohio again but this time he's leaving behind a championship and perhaps his greatest gift of all: a new school.
On Monday, the King of basketball and philanthropy opened the “I Promise School” that serves at-risk third and fourth graders in his hometown of Akron.
The school will hold 240 students who will qualify for the program based on socioeconomic and performance factors. They have also been promised full tuition to the University of Akron by James. The school hopes to have 1,000 students by 2020.
It is a joint venture between his LeBron James Family Foundation and the Akron Public Schools.
“The jitters before the first day of school are real right now!!! Tomorrow is going to be one of the greatest moments (if not the greatest) of my life when we open the #IPROMISE School,” James tweeted on Sunday. “This skinny kid from Akron who missed 83 days of school in the 4th grade had big dreams for the kids in Akron to give them everything they could need to find their passion, give back to our community and change the world!! This school is that. The people are that. Akron is that.”
In 2015, James announced his foundation will provide full college scholarships to as many as 2,300 students participating in the I PROMISE program.