Emily Wagner


Media Relations

Emily has 15 years of leading, developing, and implementing effective media strategies to advance the vision and initiatives of mission-driven organizations. She works closely with leadership, staff, affiliates, and public stakeholders to organize messaging, earn placement, and ensure consistent presence with the media across multiple channels. In addition, she provides targeted support and media training for advocates and spokespeople, as needed, to increase the visibility and success.

Mass Transit •

National Initiative by community leaders kicks off to provide safer transit for preschoolers

In an effort to ensure families of infants and children have greater access to public transit, a partnership bloomed between a host of national civic, social and public services organizations. The National Head Start Association (NHSA) and the Civic Mapping Initiative (CMI), powered by the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation, partnered to produce an interactive, national map and analysis measuring the distance between each Head Start location and the nearest fixed-route transit stop.
The New York Times •

How Poverty Programs Aided Children From One Generation to the Next

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — When Cecelia Jackson was born nearly three decades ago, about a quarter of American children were poor, a head count of hardship that for most of her childhood included her. Her father, a truck driver with a grade-school education, injured his arm when Ms. Jackson was young, then raised five children on a disability check. Food ran short, worries long, and she remembers exactly one vacation, an eight-hour drive to the beach.
The New York Times •

At Head Start, Masks Remain On, Despite C.D.C. Guidelines

PERTH AMBOY, N.J. — The Biden administration has taken credit for a relative return to normalcy in schools over the last year of the coronavirus pandemic. But in one of the few education programs the federal government directly oversees — Head Start preschools and child care centers for low-income families — mandatory masking rules are still on the books for teachers and children as young as 2-years-old.

That requirement is out of line with current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Contro
K-12 Dive •

'We can't out-pay Walmart': Head Start classrooms close after staff turnover

Increased staffing shortages following COVID-19 classroom closures are leading some Head Start programs to once again shutter their doors — this time, permanently. "We're facing a major workforce crisis," said Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association. "We don't have the qualified staff that are able to keep up with the amount of children that we would want to be serving."

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Writing

A trained reporter and writer, Emily has produced news stories and feature pieces of all kinds. This selection of clips includes press statements, news articles, and magazine pieces as well as creative and promotional copy.

Graphic Design & Social Media

Emily managed top tier social media accounts reaching and growing audiences over 250K. Likewise, she has worked in environments with multiple social media managers and understands how important it is to develop a cohesive, collaborative approach. She wrote the first social media policies for the American Library Association and Catholic University and drove enthusiastic adoption for the guidelines. She also coached 100s of social media influencers to carry brand messaging and extend reach.

Video

Emily's approach to video is focused on establishing trust with audiences in order to inspire action. The 101 videos are instructional in nature. The short video profiles series aims to provide an authentic view of library advocacy. The four tribute videos spotlight donors who were motivated to make transformational gifts.