article by Michael McLaughlin via huffingtonpost.com
Basketball superstar LeBron James plans to open a public school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, for students at risk of falling behind in academics. The I Promise School will open for elementary students in the fall of 2018 with support from James’ family foundation, according to plans revealed on Tuesday.
It plans classes for students in third and fourth grades during its first year, and will expand to include grades 1 though 8 by 2022. The school will draw students who “are at-risk in reading and who are in need of additional academic intervention before falling further behind their peers,” the LeBron James Family Foundation said in a statement. James, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ star forward, was raised by a single mother. He entered the NBA in 2003 after emerging as a basketball phenom at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron.
James spoke about the school at an event Tuesday in a historic Akron theater. “Even though I was underprivileged,” he said, he was lucky to grow up with mentors, his mother and close friends.“They would not let me get off course,” he said. ”A lot of the kids I see today in the community and all over the world are not lucky enough to have the same mentors and the same people around that can help their dreams become reality.” The I Promise School aims to provide a supportive environment for students who lack guidance, James said.
“We definitely understand how important it is to create an environment where our most challenged and at risk students feel safe, supported an cared for,” said Akron Public Schools Superintendent David James at the event as a wall of adults in “We are family” T-shirts stood on stage. A formal proposal for the school will be submitted for school board approval in October. James has previously offered Akron kids educational opportunities. He created 1,100 full-tuition scholarships in 2015 to the University of Akron for teens who completed an “I Promise” program that included goals for attendance and grades.
To read original article, go to: LeBron James Plans Ohio Public School For At-Risk Kids | The Huffington Post
Posts tagged as ““Black Girls Rock!: Celebrating the Power Beauty and Brilliance of Black Women””
article by Isabella Biedenharn (@ISABELLA324) via ew.com
Beverly Bond, founder of the annual Black Girls Rock! awards show, which airs each year on BET, will publish a book with Atria Publishing Group imprint 37 INK, EW can announce exclusively. The book is slated for a Fall 2017 publication.
Black Girls Rock!: Celebrating the Power, Beauty and Brilliance of Black Women will, according to a release, “combine powerful photography with inspirational advice, original poetry, and affirmations to showcase the complexity, dynamism, achievements and diverse cultural traditions of Black women from around the world.”
Says Bond in a statement, “This book will affirm, elevate, and celebrate the unique narratives and rich experiences of Black women and girls around the world for generations to come.”
“Beverly is a real visionary who has created not just an award show, not just a brand but an inspirational and aspirational mantra that holistically celebrates Black Girl Magic,” says 37 INK publisher Dawn Davis. “From millennials to baby boomers and beyond, her book is going to help our communities affirm and heal. I think of it as an I Dream a World for our time.”
The most recent Black Girls Rock! award show celebrated its 10th anniversary when it aired on BET April 5, hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross of Black-ish.
Beverly Bond, founder of the annual Black Girls Rock! awards show, which airs each year on BET, will publish a book with Atria Publishing Group imprint 37 INK, EW can announce exclusively. The book is slated for a Fall 2017 publication.
Black Girls Rock!: Celebrating the Power, Beauty and Brilliance of Black Women will, according to a release, “combine powerful photography with inspirational advice, original poetry, and affirmations to showcase the complexity, dynamism, achievements and diverse cultural traditions of Black women from around the world.”
Says Bond in a statement, “This book will affirm, elevate, and celebrate the unique narratives and rich experiences of Black women and girls around the world for generations to come.”
“Beverly is a real visionary who has created not just an award show, not just a brand but an inspirational and aspirational mantra that holistically celebrates Black Girl Magic,” says 37 INK publisher Dawn Davis. “From millennials to baby boomers and beyond, her book is going to help our communities affirm and heal. I think of it as an I Dream a World for our time.”
The most recent Black Girls Rock! award show celebrated its 10th anniversary when it aired on BET April 5, hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross of Black-ish.