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

 

Sandra Diamond

Sandra I. Diamond is the Program Director and St. Louis Area Coordinator 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). 

Sandy joined the UMSL CECH staff in June 1999 and has more than thirty-five years experience as a government teacher, curriculum developer, workshop leader, and educational project manager. 

A creative and dynamic speaker, presenter, and writer, Ms. 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 2000, Sandy was recognized by the University Chancellor for her contributions of "creativity, energy, and leadership…in the area of civic education.” 

Prior to joining Kids Voting Missouri, Ms. Diamond had been an Account Manager with United Behavioral Health and United Healthcare of the Midwest. 

Originally from Chicago, Sandy moved to Missouri in 1965 to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia where she received her B.S in Secondary Education in 1969.  Sandy began her teaching career as a 9^th 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 very 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 Sandy left teaching to join 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 thirteen years with the newspaper, Sandy helped increase 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, Sandy decided to return to classroom teaching in 1991, where she taught 8^th grade American Studies for one year.  She spent most of the 1990’s as an educational consultant for area businesses and was the “Creating Critical Viewers” coordinator for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences-St. Louis Chapter.

 Sandy sits on the Newspapers in Education Advisory Board at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 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).

 A thirty-six year resident of St. Louis County and twenty-year resident of University City, Sandy enjoys reading, walking, playing tennis, watching sports on TV, 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