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Contact Information:
Sandra Diamond
Program
Director and St. Louis Area Coordinator for Kids Voting Missouri
University of Missouri
- St. Louis
356 Marillac Hall
One University Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63121
Phone: (314) 516-6823
Email: sdiamond@umsl.edu
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Sandra Diamond
Sandra I. Diamond is the Program Director for Kids Voting Missouri—a national youth voter education program that is administered by the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) College of Education through its Citizenship Education Clearing House (CECH).
Diamond joined the CECH staff in June 1999 and has more than thirty eight years experience as an educational project manager, curriculum developer, workshop leader, and government teacher.
A creative and dynamic speaker, presenter, and writer, Diamond came to the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an extensive background in community and media relations, curriculum development, and educational program management.
In 2006 both the Missouri Bar and Kids Voting USA honored Sandy as she received the “Warren Solomon Civic Virtue Award” from the Missouri Bar and the “Barbara Ericksen Program Excellence Award” from Kids Voting USA. After the 2000 Kids Voting election, Sandy was also recognized by former University Chancellor, Blanche Touhill, for her contributions of "creativity, energy, and leadership…in the area of civic education.”
Prior to joining UMSL and Kids Voting Missouri, Diamond had been an Account Manager with United Behavioral Health and United Healthcare of the Midwest.
Originally from south Chicago, Sandy attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where she received her B.S in Secondary Education in 1969. Sandy began her teaching career as a 9th grade Civics teacher in the Hazelwood School District in St. Louis County. In 1974, Sandy joined the Hazelwood Central High School faculty as a government teacher and varsity softball coach. An energetic teacher, coach, pep club and Youth in Government sponsor, Sandy was active in every aspect of education and her community. She received her M. Ed in 1973 from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
In 1978 Diamond left the classroom to accept a new position with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as their Newspapers in Education (NIE) Coordinator. Her responsibilities included marketing and promoting the newspaper to educators, students, and parents throughout Missouri and Illinois. In her tenure with the newspaper, Sandy increased school participation in NIE from 100+ schools in 1978 to over 4,000 participating schools by 1991. In addition, she created and conducted hundreds of local, state, and national workshops on effectively using the newspaper as a learning tool and authored and edited over twenty curriculum guides demonstrating how to utilize the newspaper as a classroom learning tool.
A leading authority in citizenship education, Diamond’s Newspapers and Law-Related Education, published in the mid-1980’s, is still used by many teachers throughout Missouri and the United States. Likewise, while at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sandy also collaborated with many organizations and groups including the St. Louis Cardinals, Coca Cola, Literacy Investment for Tomorrow (LIFT), Upward Bound, and many others.
After spending 13 years with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, in 1991 Sandy chose to return to the classroom, where she taught 8th grade American Studies for one year. Diamond spent most of the 1990’s as an educational consultant for area businesses and non-profits and was the “Creating Critical Viewers” Coordinator for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences-St. Louis Chapter.
Currently, Diamond is a member of the Missouri Bar’s Citizenship Advisory Committee, serves on the Bi-State Civic Engagement Alliance, and is a member of the March of Dimes Communication Committee. She is an active member of the Missouri Council for the Social Studies (MCSS), National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), and Missouri School Public Relations Association (MOSPRA). Diamond also serves on Dean’s Committee for Social Justice and is an active participant of the Mayor’s Summit to reduce high school dropouts.
A resident of St. Louis County and University City, Sandy enjoys reading, walking, going to the St. Louis Cardinals and Rams games, and volunteering for many local organizations.
Honors & Recognition
- The Missouri National Education Association
- The International Reading Association
- The St. Louis Reading Association
- The U.S. Congressional Record
- The Missouri Bar Association,
- Metropolitan Bar Association of St. Louis
- A World of Difference
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