LeBron James’ difficult childhood, marked by poverty and instability, is no secret. He and his young mother moved often, relying on friends and family for a place to stay. Switching schools and leaving behind his newfound friends discouraged LeBron from attending class — until he found sports.
“When I was 8, 9, that was the first time I started playing organized sports and I had coaches around me that stressed education and not being allowed to play if we weren’t doing our schoolwork or being at school on time, things like that,” he told the Associated Press.
To harness his influence and help Akron’s young people live up to their potential, he created the LeBron James Family Foundation. The all-volunteer, 501(c)(3)’s most visible program had been its Bikeathon, a one-day event that donated bikes to children who then rode through Akron communities with LeBron. Today, that program has become Wheels for Education and the I Promise Network, which is focused on improving educational outcomes for at-risk children.
Getting involved early
Referencing what the foundation called a high school dropout crisis in Akron, LJFF Executive Director Michele Campbell says that between 2010 and 2011, the percentage of students who dropped out of school was in the double digits.
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“That statistic stood out to LeBron like, ‘We need to do something. Those kids need to stay in school.’ So that started our whole movement and our program,” Campbell says.
Partnering with Akron Public Schools, the foundation primarily targets third-grade children who are not reading at grade level.
“There’s research out there that shows you can identify children who have the risk factors of dropping out as early as third grade,” Campbell says. “If you do not start intervening at third grade, they will just get further and further behind with each year, so that is why we start at third grade, to catch them as soon as those factors can be identified.” Akron’s at-risk school children are invited to attend a two-week tech camp prior to the school year, during which they receive reading intervention and a chance to get comfortable using computers — Samsung tablets donated by the foundation.
“The computer component is important because three weeks into their third grade year of school they’ll be sitting at computers taking their first round of state testing,” Campbell says.
After the two-week camp, the students’ progress through school is monitored and grade-specific strategic interventions are planned. Those interventions are created in large part by LeBron Advisory Boards, made up of elementary school teachers, principals and administrators, that monitor the performance of the chosen school children and offer suggestions on how to improve performance. They encourage attendance, participation and guidance, parent involvement and assessment.
LeBron also personally pitches in to help keep kids on track. He makes robo-calls each month, sends letters to the children’s homes, posts digital messages on the foundation’s website and personally visits schools. The foundation also invites the children’s families to Hometown Hall Meetings to talk with parents about the program and what can be done to better reach children.
Waiting for 2021
Having a focus on improving graduation rates means LJFF will need to wait to see if its interventions are working. While it waits for its first class of students to graduate in 2021, the foundation is partnering with the University of Akron to develop a comprehensive assessment plan aimed in part at determining program effectiveness prior to graduation, Campbell says.
“We should know how many we’re about to lose on the way and hopefully be able to intervene and keep them,” she says. “We are working with the University of Akron — the college of education. They have a couple of faculty members that are spearheading this for us so we can make sure it’s done right with the current research, and that we’re using our resources and our time and energy in the best way to make the biggest difference.”
In the nonprofit world, funders most often prefer to give to organizations with proven outcomes.
LJFF, with its focus on improving graduation rates, is six years away from having a sense of its efficacy, so courting national grants isn’t a viable option for raising money. As it works to get its footing, the foundation is relying primarily on LeBron to carry the financial load while it complements his efforts by raising donations on its own. “He is very, very committed to this,” Campbell says. “It’s very authentic to him, so when it comes to taking down barriers, if we need to do something he makes that happen.”
Lifting the burden
LeBron is taking down barriers for more than just children. Some of his philanthropic efforts are focused on helping parents. Campbell says while LeBron recognizes how much his mother Gloria did for him, at times they needed support from people in the community to help them through rough times. He’s gifted the parents of children who are progressing well $1,000 for groceries, and in one instance, he completely renovated a family’s home. “It’s always things that LeBron comes up with that he believes helps the family because he grew up here,” Campbell says.
“He walked down these halls; he rode his bike down these streets, so he knows what would’ve helped him when he was growing up. Everything that we do is coming from him, based on his experience as a child growing up in Akron.” From poverty to a pedestal, LeBron is a one-in-a-million example of how, when given a chance, a person can discover his or her gifts and transcend life’s difficulties. His foundation is hoping that, with his guidance, it can give the next superstar living in his humble hometown a chance to succeed.
How to reach: The LeBron James Family Foundation, www.lebronjamesfamilyfoundation.org
