Boston Celtics big man Enes Kanter plans to open a charter school in Oklahoma that is focused on smoothing the path to an education for low-income and immigrant families.
The 27-year-old center, known for his human rights advocacy almost as much as his rebounding, has notified Oklahoma City Public schools of his intent to launch the Enes Kanter School for Exceptional Learning in the Oklahoma City Metro area, reports the Associated Press.
Kanter has made a name for himself over the last several years fighting human rights abuses around the world, most notably in his ancestral home of Turkey.
He has also ran numerous basketball camps free of charge in offseasons around the United States as part of his philanthropic activism.
I’m honored to announce that I’ll be opening a charter school in Oklahoma
I’m so excited for the opportunity to give back to Oklahomans ♥️
“He who opens a school door,closes a prison
Education is the most powerful tool, you can use to change the world
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) January 10, 2020
This new chapter diving into education for at-risk kids will need approval from the local school board after reviewing the Turkish big man’s proposal, reports the Oklahoman.
They will vote on Kanter’s prospective charter school once submitted.
“Despite playing for other teams, I continue to return to Oklahoma City to host my annual basketball summer camps and to support programs that serve the OKC children,” Kanter explained via the Associated Press. “Through my foundation, my philanthropic activities extend to all of the cities where I have played for: Utah, Portland, New York, and Boston.”
While there is no planned site yet, Kanter’s team will focus on an area where the need is considerable. No information on how they will determine that just yet, but the charter school will primarily serve those high-risk students from the fourth to twelfth grades.
Kanter joins fellow Celtic Jaylen Brown and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James as NBAers working to improve education in the U.S.
Brown is an M.I.T. Media Lab fellow for the 2019-20 academic year with a project aimed at reaching similarly at-risk kids in Massachusetts, and LeBron James famously started a charter school with similar ideals in his hometown of Akron, Ohio in 2018.
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