LeBron James opened his I Promise school in Akron, Ohio, his hometown. The public school opened in 2018 with support from the LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools.
The school was designed for students considered at risk and initially served children in grades three and four. It later expanded into a grades one-through-eight program. Its approach combines regular public-school instruction with additional support for students and their families, including longer school days, a family resource center, and help with basic needs.
The school grew out of the I PROMISE initiative, which began in Akron schools years before the building opened. James has connected the project to his own childhood experiences, including housing instability and missed school days. He has described opening the school as one of the most important accomplishments of his life.
Akron is sometimes confused with Cleveland because James played much of his career for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two Ohio cities are roughly 40 miles apart, but Akron is where James was born, raised, and where the school is located.