Emma Kornfeld-Knapp

Emma is the Director of Alliance Programming at America’s Promise Alliance. Emma’s fourteen year career has been dedicated to improving outcomes for youth, beginning with serving as a front-line youth worker to most recently managing large-scale projects and initiatives to advance culturally responsive civic learning and build a student voice infrastructure at one of the largest school districts in the country.

Emma has a BA in English Literature and Women and Gender Studies from Washington University in St. Louis and an MSW from University of Michigan with a focus on community and social systems. Emma’s most transformative educational experiences, however, have been from working alongside young people to pursue the changes they want to see.

Emma is passionate about democratizing decision-making, uplifting youth voice and perspective, and driving for transformative and youth-centered systems change.

Emma lives in Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, daughter, and son.