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Erin Gruwell will be visiting ISSAC
We are thrilled to announce that Erin Gruwell, the groundbreaking educator behind the Freedom Writers movement, will be joining us as a guest speaker at ISSAC on October 11 at 8:15 to 9:15Am.
Gruwell, who originally intended to become a lawyer with the intention of defending those who couldn't defend themselves, quickly realized that by the time a child reached the courtroom, the battle had already been lost. This profound realization, summarized in her famous quote, “If you're defending a kid in the courtroom, it's too late,” led her to shift her focus to education.
Gruwell made her mark by transforming the lives of at-risk students at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Her innovative teaching methods and belief in the power of storytelling inspired her students, known as the "Freedom Writers," to overcome adversity and share their experiences through writing.
Gruwell’s unorthodox work was later adapted into the 2007 film “Freedom Writers”, starring Hilary Swank, an Oscar winner for “Boys Don't Cry”. The movie brought widespread attention to Gruwell's vision of empowering young people through education and showed how she reshaped the trajectory of her students' lives by believing in their potential. She will inspire and share her powerful journey with our community here at ISSAC on Monday, Oct. 11.
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