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Diddy schools his old 'hood - big time!

Sean "Diddy" Combs doesn't seem to do anything in half-measures. When the Harlem-born hip-hop artist-producer and entrepreneur decided to give something back to his hometown, he wasn't talking about distributing a dozen free sneakers or donating a couple of computers to the local school.

Diddy to open a school

Sean "Diddy" Combs doesn't seem to do anything in half-measures. When the Harlem-born hip-hop artist-producer and entrepreneur decided to give something back to his hometown, he wasn't talking about distributing a dozen free sneakers or donating a couple of computers to the local school.

No, Diddy is donating an entire school.

Diddy, 46, has announced that this fall, he will open the Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School. Set to serve grades 6 and 7 in its first year, the school will expand a grade a year until it's a 6-12 school.

"I want to impact the lives of young people in my community and build future leaders. The first step is offering access to a quality education," Diddy said.

"Every young person should have the tools they need to succeed. . . . That is something I can impact with this school."

Diddy said the school was a product of collaborative work with community leaders, educators, and government.

Diddy and Mark Wahlberg recently donated one million bottles of water to Flint, Mich.

Your story on music vid

A slew of artists are producing a "We Are the World"-type music vid to support first lady Michelle Obama's Let Girls Learn educational initiative, and they are asking the public to contribute.

Featuring Kelly Clarkson, Missy Elliott, Janelle Monáe, Kelly Rowland, Lea Michele, and Zendaya, "This Is for My Girls" will feature inspirational stories about education and empowerment from 50 real-life women. To contribute, visit www.makers.com/makersstories.

Han Solo's jacket on sale

Harrison Ford is auctioning off the jacket he wore as Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens to benefit epilepsy research. Bidding starts at $18,000 on www.ifonly.com.

"When you have a loved one who suffers from this disease, it can be devastating," Ford, 73, recently told the New York Post regarding his daughter Georgia, 26, who was diagnosed and treated at NYU's Langone Center in New York.

tirdad@phillynews.com

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