Em Wilder

Em Wilder serves as Y.O.U.'s Executive Director of Out-of-School-Time Programs.

Em was raised in Evanston, IL and has been a part of the Y.O.U. family since February 2013. Em previously served as the Y.O.U. Afterschool Program Manager at Dawes Elementary School and Y.O.U. Elementary Team Leader. She is an ETHS graduate who earned her BA in Public Policy: Urban Studies and American Politics from DePaul University in 2010. During her time at DePaul, Em worked as an AmeriCorps Jumpstart Corps member at two Chicago public schools and served as a S.T.A.R.S. mentor to low-income, first-generation, minority college students.

After falling in love with Ghana during her semester abroad in college, Em returned to Ghana in summer 2010 to spend a few months working alongside villagers on a school improvement project. When she returned, she worked for an after-school program through the YMCA of Metro Chicago.

Em has a deep passion for working with youth and families in the urban out-of-school time setting. When Em isn't working, you will most likely find her on a soccer pitch, performing on a Chicago stage, or traveling.