The LeBron James Family Foundation teamed up with Akron Public Schools and opened the I Promise School on July 30, 2018. The newly established public school invited 223 of the most at-risk third and fourth graders in the area and selected students from the lowest 25th percentile through a random selection lottery process. The I Promise documentary starts with LeBron James throwing some brutal statistics into our faces, including that a kid drops out of school nationally every 26 seconds. These kids are mostly underprivileged, growing up in inner cities with no proper support. Many of them arrive at IPS with the heavy baggage of trauma and a sense of incredibly low self-esteem.
These are scholars who, by their former teachers, have been told time and time again that they are not going to make it, that they are dumb and useless to society. LeBron James and his Family Foundation, joined by local professionals from the educational sector, decided to use their resources and create a platform, a specialty institute for kids lacking hope. James initially knew not much about the ins and outs of creating a school. The documentary offers an honest, raw look at the many challenges the IPS faced while struggling to push their students to a solid fourth-grade level.
I Promise is a YouTube Original documentary from The Black Voices Fund, a fund to highlight Black voices, culture, and stories. The film is produced by The SpringHill Company and Blowback Productions in association with RYOT Labs and LeBron James Family Foundation, directed by Marc Levin (Slam, One Nation Under Stress).
The documentary's synopsis reads:
“From executive producers LeBron James and Maverick Carter comes the story of the first academic year inside the groundbreaking I Promise School. With students selected from the lower 25th percentile across the district, the film explores the day-to-day trials, tribulations and triumphs of students and families growing up in Akron, Ohio. I Promise delivers a story of resilience in the face of adversity and shares a new model for urban, public education – a holistic, STEM-focused approach led by love and Social Emotional Learning infused with the LeBron James Family Foundation’s “We Are Family” philosophy. And what’s at stake? Nothing short of these kids’ lives.”
There Is No Right Time
“It’s not instant oatmeal that we’re creating here,” James says in the documentary. “You can’t just put the oatmeal pack in the bowl and putting it in the microwave, and we’re ready to go. We’re good with dealing with the process.”
Early on in the documentary, it becomes clear that James and his foundation took many risks while founding the IPS. They decided to take the “let’s learn together as we move ahead” approach, which sounds dangerous, and in a way, it is. Yet, without giving away any major spoilers, he seems to have been right. There is no perfect time. Waiting for everything to click and procrastinating endlessly is a trap when wanting to establish a school that is meant to create change.
The Akron-born NBA icon has the good old “just do it” mentality. He started the IPS for students struggling academically and with attendance, just as James did. He lived with foster parents for a while when his mother found herself in a disturbing financial crisis. In his mental fitness masterclass on Calm, James claimed that the stability and routine he experienced while living away has greatly contributed to his thorough control over his time and mental and physical well-being as a high-performing athlete. Stability and safety are definitely key to every kids’ healthy development. The IPS, being a specialty school, gives kids and teachers the freedom to be innovative. Their process is guided by a STEM curriculum, trauma-informed teaching, and a major focus on the idea that the entire school functions as a big family. It is easier said than done, but the core principles are, nevertheless, motivating. We can make a change if we stick together.
Harsh Difficulties & Immense Dedication
Filmmaker Marc Levin delivers an honest representation of the school’s inaugural year, many challenges, and joyous improvements. He sheds light on the dreadful personal experiences of a handful of students, their struggles at home, and the baggage they bring. Most of the students felt like true misfits at their former schools and felt like they did not and could not belong. Levin’s artistic approach transports us, viewers, into these students’ worlds seamlessly. He pulls us in and provokes us into thinking.
Many of the scholars at IPS are trauma kids who have been held back by the rottenness of the educational system and its tendencies to marginalize those who it considers to be less utilizable in the long run. This notion, of course, does not only apply to the educational system. It applies to our global society as well.
IPS students carry horrific personal traumas and difficult experiences. Coping with many of which would be incredibly tough, even for adults. In the documentary, an 8-year-old opens up about feeling unsafe in his neighborhood, listening to sirens all night, and his father, who got stabbed in the throat. Another student of the same age has been the full-time caregiver of her grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s. Another kid is used to overnight drug raids at his family’s house. At an IPS circle, another student bursts out about missing his younger brother, who got shot by a stranger. These are only a few shocking stories children appearing in the film share. They rage. They cry. They try hard to improve daily. Whenever Levin puts them in a one-on-one interview situation, they talk with the clarity and maturity of adults. They are brilliant due to, unfortunately, having had learned many tough lessons in life. However, the impact of trauma on learning abilities is huge and is scientifically proven. It ruins the entire process of learning.
“We can do much more as a family,” – says the slogan of the incredibly dedicated IPS teachers. A few minutes into the film, you find yourself invested in their fight to help kids get into fourth grade. You root for the teachers just like you root for the kids. James only appears here and there for a few minutes, gives teachers a pep talk, engages with students, and throws an extra snowball of motivation at them. With this approach, the film does not sink into a show of vanity. It stays real. Teachers brainstorm about strategies and share their fears, insecurities, daily successes, and loud fights with challenging students. They address the whole child and pay plenty of attention to their families so that parents can focus more on their children’s health and school performance. The IPS runs a resource center that offers food, detergent, and coffee to families in need. According to the school’s principles, the school must monitor each student's home life, including if they have electricity, if their food supply is sufficient, and if they can have a proper meal before heading to bed. As fourth-grade teacher Stephanie Arnett says at one point, “I think we really could start a revolution in public schools.” With their out-of-the-box approach, holistic tools, love languages, and "I Promise” daily circles – sittings where students and teachers discuss needs, emotions, and mental health – the revolution has never seemed to be more within reach.
I Promise had its premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and is available to watch for free under the YouTube Originals banner.