NBA star LeBron James is continuing to help the University of Akron. His foundation, the LeBron James Family Foundation, has recently announced a program to help students in the school.
USA Today College reported that the I Promise Institute at the University of Akron is a program that will deepen the organization and school's relationship. This time, instead of giving four-year UA scholarships to qualified students from Akron and northeast Ohio, the foundation will also make sure that these students will receive the study and personal resources that they need for their academic growth.
"When we first started this program, I wanted my kids to graduate from high school," James said. "But the more we grow as a Foundation, the more we find can be done to give our kids the best chance to be successful. We don't just want our kids to get to college, we want them to graduate from college. And we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to help them do that."
The student support program will also have a team of educators who can provide full-time support for its students. These educators will also research the best practices and implement academic interventions.
The publication noted that a lot of students who were awarded scholarships through LeBron James' foundation were the first in their families to attend college. According to Michele Campbell, the executive director of James' foundation, the resources provided by the program will cater to the needs of these first-generation students.
The LeBron James Family Foundation and the University of Akron will plan and align the program's resources in the next five years. It will be launched with the class of 2020.
The NBA star is more than a business and education partner for the school. Cleveland.com reported that he will one day be a student there.
"I'm signed up at the University of Akron for whenever I'm able to get a little bit of down time," he revealed. "That's always been a conversation that took place to take some college courses, take some classes. So right now I just do a lot of reading, book reading and obviously I'm around some really good people that I kind of take their knowledge and sort it into my mind."
