Emma Herdean leverages connections, resources and research to provide attendance awareness, advocacy and assistance to school administration, students and families and to the community. She currently provides local attendance support to schools in the city of Detroit, helping to increase academic success in K-12. Emma’s knowledge and experience with non-profit organizations, family literacy programs, schools and community partnerships in the last twelve years have been instrumental for the current work of improving school attendance.

Emma led the implementation of family literacy programs through partnerships with community-based organizations and with the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) for a decade. She provided oversight for the implementation of the Community Schools model in the DPSCD for three years. She holds a BA in English and an MA in Linguistics, both from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Emma is currently earning her doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership from Oakland University in Rochester, MI. Emma is fully trilingual and consistently volunteers with children and youth programs and with immigrant communities.