Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Photos: LeBron James' #IPromise School in his hometown, Akron, Ohio opens

LeBron James may have skipped college, but thanks to the I Promise School – a joint project between his foundation and Akron Public Schools that opened Monday – over a thousand students from his home town won't have to.
LeBron James, 33, addressed the crowd during the opening ceremony of his I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio on Monday
The school, which is the product of a decade's worth of work, is focused on helping Akron students from difficult backgrounds who qualify based on socioeconomic and performance factors.  By 2022, IPS hopes to teach students from first through eighth grade, but on Monday, it was just 240 third and fourth graders who were on-hand for the opening. IPS has a longer school day and a longer school year, which is why it's opening in July, but those who complete the entire program will be offered free tuition to the University of Akron, starting in 2021. And in addition to receiving two healthy meals every day, students will also be given free bikes, helmets, school supplies, and even some IPS clothing.
Jesse Owens and Martin Luther King Jr. are pictured in another mural
Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson can be seen in one mural
Hundreds gathered to catch a glimpse of the NBA star on Monday at the school's opening, which is supported by The LeBron James Family Foundation and is run by Akron Public Schools
Students were asked to make a pledge on the first day at the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio 
All the students at the I Promise School received a bike and a helmet on their first day 
Fans had the chance to buy half of a game-worn pair of James's size-15 Nikes, with proceeds going towards to the school. The other half of those pairs are already decorating the school itself (pictured), along the the two massive, curved staircases in the foyer
LeBron addressed the crowd on Monday outside the school, which is the product of a decade's worth of work and will focus on helping Akron students from difficult backgrounds who qualify based on socioeconomic and performance factors
One of the murals in the school includes a portrait of James as a teenager and as an adult 
Currently the school only teaches third and fourth graders, but it will expand by next year 
LeBron shared a number of photos on Instagram, including the one above, from the opening day of the I Promise School on Monday in Ohio



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