Walk through the front doors of the I PROMISE School and you’ll find 114 pairs of shoes on display. The shoes, work by LeBron James during his record-breaking basketball career, are inscribed with messages of what James stands for: #EQUALITY, James Gang and The Kid from Akron.

LeBron James grew up in Akron, Ohio where he learned from a young age that it takes more than one person to raise a child. LeBron leaned on the support of his friends, teachers, coaches, teammates and the city of Akron to lift him up when times were tough. These people played a critical role in making LeBron the person he is today. It was this community that introduced the 3-time NBA champion to basketball at the age of 9 – and these people that watched proudly as he was selected as the #1 NBA draft pick after graduating high school. Because of this community, we now know LeBron as one of the greatest athletes of all time, an icon whose accolades on the court have given him a platform to do even more off the court.

LeBron is on a mission to create change in that same community that changed his life. With his team at the LeBron James Family Foundation and their network of partners, they’ve opened the I PROMISE School to shape the future of Akron’s most at-risk students and families.

Providing hope through impactful programming and eliminating barriers with vital resources, the school is built on the premise that no one walks through life alone. What started with just a kid from Akron continues as a movement of many that is changing the world.

Every day when the I PROMISE kids and families walk through the doors and see those iconic shoes – they know the path they’re on is the path of a champion.