On Monday, July 30, basketball superstar LeBron James was on his way to the first day of school. This was not just any school, though. He was going to a school he helped start in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. This brought back feelings he had as a kid.
He remembers school not meaning anything to him back then. It was too far away, especially when his mother didn't have a car. He missed 83 days of school in fourth grade.
"It was a surprise to me when I woke up and I was actually going to school," James said.
Learning Importance Of Education
As he grew up, he learned how important education is to help poor people improve their lives. This is why the basketball star and the LeBron James Family Foundation donated most of the money to start the school. Although the foundation has helped schools in the past, this is the first school he's opened.
James recently left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers. Still, he wants to give back to the area where he grew up.
At 8 a.m., 240 third- and fourth-grade students started at the I Promise School in Akron, which is less than an hour from Cleveland. It's a public school, like James attended, but it tries to offer students growing up poor like James did everything they need to succeed. The students were randomly picked from a group whose reading levels were a year or two behind.
Helping Parents Find Jobs And Housing
The kids received high-fives from teachers as they walked in. They asked if "Mr. LeBron" was going to visit. Some parents who'd lost jobs asked if the school could help them find new jobs. A homeless family asked if they could get help, too.
The answers were yes, yes and yes.
Brandi Davis is the school principal. She said her school will be a model for other public schools across the country. Davis stressed the school will offer "wraparound" support, which means educators will work with different people to make sure students' needs are being met. This includes students' families, friends and counselors.
The idea for a school began during a brainstorm between James and Michele Campbell, who leads the foundation. She mentioned creating a school as a way to help students. James loved the idea. He said to start right away.
"If I tell her to go build a rocket and take it to outer space, Michele can make it happen," James said.
Campbell began working with the Akron Public School District to decide what students need. Akron schools are some of the lowest-performing in Ohio.
Challenging Math And Science Classes
They settled on a program teaching skills children need to handle troubles they face outside of school. This program is combined with challenging math and science classes.
The school's "wraparound" services help reduce stress kids feel when their parents are struggling with money. These include job and family services, a food pantry where families can get meals and help with housing.
When James grew up he used a bicycle to get away from the dangerous parts of his neighborhood. So every student at the school gets a bicycle. They also get a Chromebook.
The large brick school has been renovated. The entrance is decorated with James' game-worn shoes, which will be sold to raise money. Walls are painted with murals of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., boxer Muhammad Ali and baseball player Jackie Robinson.
Supporting Teachers
So that teachers can best help students and their families, they will also be well-supported. The I Promise School gives teachers counseling services if needed. Every Wednesday teachers will get time to improve job skills. James also hired a trainer to help teachers work out. The school provides all the supplies teachers need.
A two-hour ceremony followed the end of the first day. James spoke at the end. He laughed when someone shouted "wee wee." That was his mother's nickname growing up. James paused a moment when a man shouted, "We love you!"
"I love you too, man," James said. "I really do. Know no matter if I'm playing in Los Angeles or not, Akron, Ohio, is always home for me. Always."
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