LeBron James was once an at-risk youth growing up in Akron, Ohio. However, he had options to change his life’s course thanks to his physical gifts and skills as a basketball player.
Now he’s helping give youth growing up on those same streets some options.
LeBron teamed up with the University of Akron to set up potential college scholarships for approximately 1,000 young people in the Akron public school system working with James’ foundations’ “I Promise” program (and other programs).
He announced it this week, reports the Associated Press.“It’s the reason I do what I do,” said James, who announced the program Thursday while hosting an event for students at Cedar Point Amusement Park. “These students have big dreams, and I’m happy to do everything I can to help them get there. They’re going to have to earn it, but I’m excited to see what these kids can accomplish knowing that college is in their futures.”
The school and the LeBron James Family Foundation are still finalizing the criteria for the scholarships. The students will have to graduate high school within Akron’s public school system and achieve standard testing requirements as well as fulfill a community service obligation....
“It means so much because, as a kid growing up in the inner city and a lot of African-American kids, you don’t really think past high school,” said James, who bypassed college to jump to the NBA. “You don’t really know your future. You hear high school all the time, and you graduate high school and then you never think past that because either it’s not possible or your family’s not financially stable to even be able to support a kid going to college.”
James’ foundation is focused on trying to raise the graduation rate in Akron. It has programs for mentoring and tutoring at-risk youth in danger of falling out of school (due to issues in their homes, attendance concerns or a host of other reasons). The foundation was setting a path to graduation; now there is potentially a next step after it.
The university will pay for the scholarships (currently valued at $9,500 a year), LeBron’s foundation will set the path to get those scholarships and work to keep the youth in the program on that path, which starts with the class of 2021.
Who knows how many of the youth will take advantage of this opportunity, but LeBron and the university are going to change some lives. LeBron is playing for his legacy on the court at this point in his career, but he is shaping one off the court in Akron as well that is very impressive.