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Phoenix Scholarship Academy Welcomes Erin Gruwell

Erin Gruwell, Founder of the Freedom Writers Foundation, is the featured speaker for The Phoenix Academy’s Scholarship Luncheon on Wednesday, October 1st.

Gruwell taught 150 at risk students after the LA riots. She says the majority of the 14-year olds were not expected to make it through their freshman year.

Gruwell used books written by, for and about kids in war torn areas, to inspire her students to use the power of writing to change their current stories.

She says ultimately, all of her students graduated and their stories were collected in a book called The Freedom Writers Diary. 

"The Phoenix Academy has targeted kids who are similar to Freedom Writers. Often times we seem to resonate with programs who think outside the box and want to do things differently and want to believe kids are more than statistics and data and test scores.”

Gruwell says the luncheon will really be a celebration of the community who supports Phoenix Academy’s efforts, the teachers who work hard every day and the students they serve. 

The luncheon takes place October 1st at 11:30 a.m. in the CenturyLink Center.