LeBron James’ public school is the education model America needs
The I Promise School in Akron, OH, funded and founded by former resident and current NBA star LeBron James via the LeBron James Family Foundation along with Akron City Schools, has a stated purpose of serving low-income and at-risk kids and focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
It breaks a lot of ground with a focus on the “whole child.” From trauma-informed support systems to family wraparound support, which helps solve challenges in the home and with the entire family including helping parents find a job and even get a GED. The school will make sure the kids are adequately fed, which means the understanding exists here that education extends beyond time sitting in a classroom desk and even beyond traditional teacher-student relationships.
“We have a family resource center housed on the premises of our school because we’re not only into nurturing and loving our students, but we are wrapping around—our arms around the entire family,” said Principal Brandi Davis in an interview with NPR.
