Freedom Writers Club

Advisor: Liz Dunn

The Freedom Writers Club (FWC) is a club that reaches out to all students at B.M.C. Durfee High School in order to promote tolerance for others, celebrate our diversity and make positive changes within ourselves and in our community of Fall River, MA.  The club regularly meets on the first Monday of each month and more often, as needed.

Our mission is as follows:

• Build a community of students at B.M.C. Durfee High School in order to promote an educational philosophy that values, upholds, honors and celebrates diversity.

• Study “man’s inhumanity to man” using the genocides that were perpetrated throughout the world in the past and continue in the present. 

• Educate and expose students to critical issues that face our world in the 21st century.

• Foster an interest in volunteerism and community service.

• Inspire students to realize their roles as vital members of their communities and their world.

• Support and create opportunities for students to reach their full academic potential and aspire to higher education.

While the FWC has only been in existence since January, 2008, we have over 100 members, and have participated in the following:

• Educational fieldtrips to both N.Y.C. (2008) and Washington, D.C. (2009) with another trip planned to Washington, D.C. in late April, 2010.

• Fieldtrip to Boston University to see Nobel Prize Laureate, Professor Elie Wiesel speak about the Holocaust.

• Sponsored original Freedom Writer, Maria Reyes as a guest speaker for all Durfee students and distributed Freedom Writers Diary books which were generously donated by members of the Fall River community.

• In conjunction with the Herald News launch of “This Matters to Me”, FWC members have written “guest” columns.  Please see http://www.heraldnews.com/opinions/this_matters_to_me

• Organized a food/toy drive to benefit the Herald News Operation Christmas.

• Attended the Mayoral Inauguration in January, 2010 and volunteered at the Inaugural Family Festival.

• Viewed the documentary, “Escape from Auschwitz” with 1,200 other students from across Southeastern MA and RI.

• Started a mentoring partnership with the Letourneau Elementary School called the Junior Freedom Writers Club. Durfee FWC members are mentoring fifth grade students meeting every three weeks at Letourneau Elementary.