Freedom Writers Foundation

From "at-risk" to authors.

In 1994, Long Beach was a racially divided community filled with drugs, gang warfare, and homicides, and the tensions on the streets had carried into the school halls. When idealistic first-year teacher Erin Gruwell walked into Room 203 at Wilson High School, her students had already been labeled "unteachable." But Gruwell believed in something more.

Despite opposition from fellow teachers, Ms. G sought to engage her students using relevant literature and media. Her students were particularly inspired by the writings of Anne Frank and Zlata Filipovic, and ultimately chose to put down their weapons and pick up a pen. The once-hardened teens discovered a new way to express themselves and embrace history, humanity, and hope. By sharing their stories, they rewrote their futures and became catalysts for change.

All 150 of the Freedom Writers went on to graduate in 1998 and their stories were published in a book called The Freedom Writers Diary, which became a New York Times Bestseller and was adapted into the feature film Freedom Writers starring Hilary Swank. Many of Gruwell's students pursued higher education and now have successful careers. They created the Freedom Writers Foundation to help educators reproduce the success of Room 203 in classrooms around the world.

The Freedom Writers Foundation has impacted over 1,000,000 students with its Freedom Writers Methodology. Over 800 trained "Freedom Writer Teachers" in all 50 U.S. States and 20 countries are teaching thousands of students a day with our student-centered, culturally-relevant approach. As they focus on helping their students find success both inside and outside the classroom, these educators are following in the footsteps of Ms. G and the Freedom Writers and changing the world one student at a time.

Testimonials

KWHS welcomed acclaimed author Erin Gruwell at the Studios of Key West. She shared the story of the Freedom Writers and emphasized the importance of relationships, perseverance and how writing enables students to tell their story. KWHS teacher Kyla Shoemaker has been a part of the Freedom Writers initiative for many years and KWHS is proud to have Erin here to share her story with the teachers and students. It is truly an inspiration! Thank you to Keys to Be the Change and the sponsors that made this possible.

Key West High School