Erin Gruwell
Becoming a Catalyst for Change
As a teacher in her now famous Room 203 at Wilson High School, Erin Gruwell fostered an educational philosophy that encouraged her students to re-think rigid beliefs about themselves and others, reconsider daily decisions, and ultimately re-chart their futures. Inspired by Anne Frank, Erin and her students captured their collective journey in The Freedom Writers Diary. Through poignant student entries and Erin's narrative text, the book records their eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding. In 2007, Paramount Pictures released Freedom Writers, starring two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank as Erin. The film was based on The Freedom Writers Diary, the New York Times bestseller that chronicled Erin's extraordinary journey with 150 high school students who had been written off by the education system. In that same year, Teach With Your Heart, Erin's powerful memoir and call to arms was published. She has since founded the Freedom Writers Foundation where she currently teaches teachers around the country how to implement her innovative lesson plans into their own classrooms. Recently, Erin's teaching methods from her time in Room 203 have been published in the Freedom Writers Diary Teacher's Guide.

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