<br />17 Facts About LeBron James' New Public School You Really Need To Know<br /><br /><br />This week, LeBron James opened a public school specifically designed for "students in Akron who need it most." LeBron spent millions of dollars and a decade of his life working to open this school in his Ohio hometown.<br /><br />And you all, every single detail I learn about this school makes me want to cry a little. Here are just a few reasons why the I Promise School is so incredible:<br />1. Every kid at the school gets a free bicycle and helmet, because LeBron says his own childhood bike helped him get out of dangerous neighborhoods and explore his city as a kid.<br /><br />2. Students receive free breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout their school day. They also get free uniforms.<br /><br /><br />3. If a student's family is struggling to put food on the table, the school has its own food bank for them to use.<br /><br />4. LeBron has guaranteed that every single student who graduates from his school will receive free college tuition at the University of Akron.<br /><br />5. Not that this is the most ~important~ thing, but can we talk about how COOL the building is? The walls are lined with the athlete's former game shoes.<br /><br />6. The school's calendar is uniquely designed to keep students engaged in their learning. This includes having a longer school day and a shorter summer break.<br /><br />7. For the school's seven-week summer recess, they offer an optional STEM-based summer camp.<br /><br />8. The school places a huge emphasis on their emotional well-being. Students have support circles every day after lunch, and daily classes to help them develop healthy life habits.<br /><br />9. And it's not just the students who are being served by the school: LeBron is implementing programs to help the parents of these children, too. For example...<br /><br />10. Parents at the school are given access to a GED program if they did not graduate high school.<br /><br />11. If a parent is unemployed, the school has resources to help them find a job.<br /><br />12. The school will even help parents find suitable housing for their families. The school's motto is "We Are Family," and they really live up to it.<br /><br />13. OH, and you will be glad to know that the school treats the teachers pretty incredibly, too!<br /><br />14. You might not know this, but most teachers have to pay for their own classroom supplies. But at LeBron's school, all supplies are provided for them.<br /><br />15. To ensure that they are well-equipped to help their students, every teacher at the I Promise School is given access to free psychological services as well as career development trainings.<br /><br />16. LeBron even hired a personal trainer for the teachers to use if they want!<br /><br />17. Finally (and maybe most importantly), LeBron and his foundation made this a *public* school — it's not charter or private. That means it's totally free for students to go, and the school is not treated differently from any other in the Akron district.<br /><br />LeBron James, thank you.<br /><br /><br />
