Erin Gruwell
Erin is a collaborative writer for the best-selling The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them which became a feature film starring Academy Award winner Hilary Swank. By fostering an educational philosophy that valued and promoted diversity, Erin transformed her students' lives. Her initial commitment to her 150 students, which included working three part-time jobs to fund student activities, ensured they would all graduate high school, most would graduate college and many would complete a post-graduate education. Erin currently serves as president of the Freedom Writers Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 that positively impacts communities by decreasing high school dropout rates through the enhancement of the Freedom Writers Method. Erin and her students have appeared on numerous television shows to discuss their experiences and promote improved educational reform. They have appeared on Oprah, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Prime Time Live with Connie Chung, Barbara Walters' The View, Good Morning America, and CSPAN's Book TV. Her class has been featured on National Public Radio and in national newspapers and People magazine. She is also author of The Freedom Writers Diary Teacher's Guide, comprised of innovative teaching techniques, Teach With Your Heart, a memoir and call to arms for educational reform and Teaching Hope: Stories from the Freedom Writers Teachers (2009).
Erin is a collaborative writer for the best-selling The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them which became a feature film starring Academy Award winner Hilary Swank. By fostering an educational philosophy that valued and promoted diversity, Erin transformed her students' lives. Her initial commitment to her 150 students, which included working three part-time jobs to fund student activities, ensured they would all graduate high school, most would graduate college and many would complete a post-graduate education. Erin currently serves as president of the Freedom Writers Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 that positively impacts communities by decreasing high school dropout rates through the enhancement of the Freedom Writers Method. Erin and her students have appeared on numerous television shows to discuss their experiences and promote improved educational reform. They have appeared on Oprah, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Prime Time Live with Connie Chung, Barbara Walters' The View, Good Morning America, and CSPAN's Book TV. Her class has been featured on National Public Radio and in national newspapers and People magazine. She is also author of The Freedom Writers Diary Teacher's Guide, comprised of innovative teaching techniques, Teach With Your Heart, a memoir and call to arms for educational reform and Teaching Hope: Stories from the Freedom Writers Teachers (2009).
Nurturing the Leader Within
Achieving the Impossible: Become a Catalyst for Change
