The Freedom Writers Diary is the amazing true story of strength, courage, and achievement in the face of adversity. In the fall of 1994, in Room 203 at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, an idealistic teacher named Erin Gruwell faced her first group of students, dubbed by the administration as "unteachable, at-risk" teenagers. The class was a diverse mix of African-American, Latino, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Caucasian students, many of whom had grown up in rough neighborhoods in Long Beach . In the first few weeks of class, the students made it clear that they were not interested in what their teacher had to say, and made bets about how long she would last in their classroom.

Then a pivotal moment changed their lives forever. When a racial caricature of one of the African-American students circulated the classroom, Erin Gruwell angrily intercepted the drawing and compared it to the Nazi caricatures of Jews during the Holocaust. To her amazement, the students responded with puzzled looks. Erin Gruwell was appalled to discover that many of her students had never heard of the Holocaust. When she asked how many in her class had been shot at, however, almost all of them raised their hands, and began lifting their shirts to show their scars. This initiated a battle-scar show-and-tell that left Erin Gruwell shocked and inspired to take advantage of the powerful energy she had sparked.

By fostering an educational philosophy that valued and promoted diversity, she transformed her students' lives. She encouraged them to rethink rigid beliefs about themselves and others, to reconsider daily decisions, and to rechart their futures. With Erin's steadfast support, her students shattered stereotypes to become critical thinkers, aspiring college students, and citizens for change. They even dubbed themselves the "Freedom Writers" - in homage to the Civil Rights activists the "Freedom Riders" - and published a book.

From the moment they named themselves the "Freedom Writers," the students of Room 203 changed from a group of apathetic, frustrated students to a closely knit, motivated family. The Freedom Writers have continued their mission to teach tolerance and share their story of success.

Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers started a foundation to positively impact communities by decreasing high school drop out rates through the replication and enhancement of the Freedom Writers Method. The Freedom Writers Foundation uses innovative teaching methods to train teachers, in addition to providing scholarships for deserving students. Using the Freedom Writers Method, the Foundation actively addresses the problem with proven results in communities across the country.

The Freedom Writers Foundation main initiative is to provide teachers with innovative teaching methods through workshops held at the Freedom Writers Institute. The goal of the Freedom Writers Institute is to prepare teachers to use the Freedom Writers Method in order to improve the academic performance of their students. Led by Erin Gruwell, with support from original Freedom Writers and other educators, the Institute is a year-long program centered on a five-day seminar designed to equip teachers with the innovative teaching tools they need to reach and empower their students.