The Freedom Writers were a group of 150 high school students from Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, who were taught by Erin Gruwell. They called themselves the Freedom Writers in homage to the Freedom Riders of the Civil Rights Movement. Their stories were published in a book called "The Freedom Writers Diary," which became a New York Times Bestseller and was adapted into the feature film "Freedom Writers" starring Hilary Swank.

All 150 of the Freedom Writers graduated from high school, and most went on to attend either a city college or university. More than half of them graduated with college degrees, and several have more advanced degrees. Many of Gruwells former students pursued higher education and now have successful careers. They created the Freedom Writers Foundation to help educators reproduce the success of Room 203 in classrooms around the world.

The Freedom Writers Foundation has been successful in mitigating student dropout rates by reproducing the Freedom Writers experience in schools around the world. The foundation has also created the Freedom Writers Institute, a development program instructing educators on how to engage and empower their students. The Freedom Writers and Ms. G remain close to this day, and many of the Freedom Writers work with the Freedom Writers Foundation, speaking to schools and organizations through the Outreach Program and training teachers from all over the world.