Hanifa Darwish is an education policy professional whose work focuses on equity, access, and belonging for multilingual, immigrant, and refugee learners. She currently serves as Program Manager at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) in Washington, D.C., where she supports programs and partnerships that connect academic research with policy and practice, bringing scholars, policymakers, and practitioners into dialogue in the nation’s capital.

Previously, Hanifa worked with the University of Pennsylvania’s Consortium for Policy Research in Education and the Penn Early Childhood & Family Research Center, contributing to research on culturally responsive teaching and early childhood equity. She has also supported education programs for refugees with Relief International. In parallel, she conducts research with Rutgers University’s Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, focusing on workplace inclusion, organizational culture, and equitable practices for employees with disabilities in healthcare settings. Hanifa is also an Education Pioneers Impact Fellow, advancing evidence-based approaches to equity and access in education systems.

In 2019, Hanifa founded the Baale Parwaz Children’s Library in Kabul and launched the Bood Nabood Initiative, an online library of narrated stories designed to expand access to culturally relevant learning materials for Afghan women and children.

Hanifa holds a Master of Science in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in Education and Sociology from Trinity College. Her work sits at the intersection of education policy, migration, and organizational systems, with a focus on designing structures that foster equity, belonging, and opportunity for displaced and multilingual learners.