Erin Gruwell

Erin Gruwell is an American educator, author, and founder of the Freedom Writers Foundation, widely known for her work with at-risk students in Long Beach, California and her innovative, writing-centered teaching methods. She earned a BA from the University of California, Irvine and a master’s degree and teaching credentials from California State University, Long Beach, later being honored by both institutions as a distinguished alumna. Gruwell first came to national attention through the publication of The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them, a New York Times bestseller documenting her students’ journal writings and their journey from hardship to hope. Her classroom story was further popularized by the 2007 feature film Freedom Writers, starring Hilary Swank as Gruwell.

In addition to 1,001 Pearls of Teachers’ Wisdom: Quotations on Life and Learning, Gruwell’s works include Teach with Your Heart: Lessons I Learned from the Freedom Writers and The Freedom Writers Teacher’s Guide, which extend her educational philosophy to a wider audience. Through the Freedom Writers Foundation, she continues to promote educational equity, social justice, and the use of personal narrative as a tool for student empowerment.