Tuesday August 18th 7 – 9:00pm

"There are lives lost in this book, and there are lives saved, too, if salvation means a young man or woman begins to feel deserving of a place on the planet…These are the most influential professionals most of us will ever meet. The effects of their work will last forever." — From the foreword by Anna Quindlen

The story of Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers has touched hearts and brought hope to thousands of teachers, students, and people all over the world. Since The Freedom Writers Diary was first published ten years ago, Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers have continued their quest to empower students and to inspire those who teach them. Now, 150 Freedom Writer Teachers open their classrooms and their hearts to share with us the reality of their lives.

"Think of that teacher, that one teacher—the one who made the difference, who saw you and pushed you to find out who you wanted to become. This book is written by 150 people who attempt to be that teacher in the lives of their students, every day." Thus begins TEACHING HOPE: Stories from the Freedom Writer Teachers and Erin Gruwell; Foreword by Anna Quindlen (Broadway Books, September 2009; Trade Paperback Original). Marking the 10th anniversary of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Freedom Writers Diary, the irrepressible Erin Gruwell has gathered a merry, mixed band of fighters—150 educators from across the United States and Canada trained in the Freedom Writers Method—to tell their stories of teaching students in and out of traditional classrooms and, just maybe, change the world.

The Freedom Writers phenomenon, now captured in both a bestselling book and feature film, began in 1994, when Erin Gruwell stepped into Room 203, her first teaching job out of college. Long Beach, California was still reeling from the aftermath of the Rodney King riots and the OJ Simpson trial, and the kid’s in Erin’s classroom reflected the anger, resentment, and hopelessness of their community. Undaunted, Erin fostered an educational philosophy in Room 203 that valued and promoted diversity, and she transformed her students’ lives as well as her own.

Erin and the Freedom Writers established the Freedom Writers Foundation to help other teachers across American emulate the magic of Room 203 and provide their students with hope and opportunities to realize their academic potential. Since then, the foundation has trained more than 150 educators in the United States and Canada and TEACHING HOPE unites their voices, sharing uplifting, devastating, and poignant stories from their classrooms, stories that provide insight into the struggles and triumphs of education in all its forms.

Mirroring the academic year, these dispatches take us from the anticipation of the first day, through the disillusionment, challenges, and triumphs of the school year. These are the voices of educators who persevere in the face of intolerance, rigid administration, budget cuts, and countless other challenges, yet continue to reach out and teach those who are deemed unteachable.

Featuring unique and varied stories from assorted educators across the country—from Texas to Maine, elementary schools to universities, public to charter schools, first year teachers to 30 year veterans, to those who educate outside the formal classroom—TEACHING HOPE will inspire everyone to make a difference in the world around them.

In June 2007, I had the privilege of being one of the 150 teachers trained by Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers. In one year, similar to the classroom created in Room 203, we became part of the Freedom Writer Family. Each diverse educator was honored fully as a human being. In the safety of our Family, all of what life brings is allowed to be shared without fear of judgment. We honor our diversity. We feel the “highest of highs” and the “lowest of lows” with the support of each other knowing that we are loved for the light that shines within—a love that is not withheld because of the color of our skin or our pasts. On August 18, 2009, we share our lives with you with hopes that you, too, may open fully to being human and share your story without fear. May each of us write our own story and know that we have the power to change the world.