What does it take to get some of education’s best practices into one school and off the ground?
For the I Promise School, it’s taken one superstar athlete, one force of a foundation, one willing school district, one traveling food truck and at least 35 other community partners that provide an army of volunteers — and millions of dollars in funding.
And that’s just the beginning.
“We’ve brought this amazing family of partners together to eliminate many of the barriers our students and families face, and we believe it’s truly going to change lives,” said Michele Campbell, director of the LeBron James Family Foundation. “… It’s all because of LeBron’s commitment to Akron and his ability to rally people around these kids and support them so they can have a better future.
“That’s how generational change is created, and LeBron, his foundation and our partners are in this for the long haul.”
The I Promise School, opening to 240 academically at-risk third- and fourth-graders on Monday, began as an idea by Akron native and NBA All-Star LeBron James, who is expected to be at the school on opening day. That idea has grown to engulf dozens of partners from the local to national level.