THE FIRST CHAPTER
With students and staff excitedly filing in each morning as the promise echoes throughout the story-lined hallways, the I Promise School’s first week was one for the books. As the school’s inaugural class settles in to their unique system of learning and new way of life, their reaction to the IPS principles are captured best by the smiles on their faces. From dancing in the morning to get the day started to refocusing in afternoon restorative circles, life at IPS is anything but ordinary.
The first week of school also brought with it the first sale of 114 game-worn LeBron shoes that line the now world-famous IPS lobby. Swinging through Akron for a PGA tour event, pro golfer Bubba Watson was among the first to purchase a shoe and support the school with all proceeds going to IPS. His name will soon be engraved and placed on the wall as an important contributor to the I Promise School.
The week continued with success stories stemming from the school’s Family Resource Center (FRC) as the I PROMISE Too GED program for parents held its first kickoff meeting at IPS for a new class of aspiring graduates. Their coursework, implemented in partnership with Project Learn, will all take place at the I Promise School, making their academic goals more attainable than ever before. The FRC also officially opened the food pantry with help from the Akron Food Bank, and is now stocked with readily available meals and snacks for IPS families.
Capping off the week with a bang, the I Promise School was the focus of a thirty-minute ESPN special highlighting the students and staff, the ambitions, and the impact of the school for all the world to see.
To the IPS staff who continue to pave the way for change day in and day out at IPS, you make us proud to say, "We are family."
P.S. The Foundation’s annual We Are Family Reunion at Cedar Point celebrating ALL of our I PROMISE families is just six days away!
