Diamond Council of America Supports "Best Friends" with Significant Donation
Character-Building Program Benefits From Dollars, Dedication
Kansas City, Mo.: In an effort to support "Best Friends," a program for adolescent girls fostering self-respect through self-restraint, the Diamond Council of America has donated nearly $30,000 to pay for the program's graduation pins. "We are honored to be able to donate to a program that is so dedicated to making sure young girls get the right life messages," said Terry Chandler, President of the Diamond Council of America. "Our board of directors voted unanimously to make this donation. Best Friends gives girls as young as 4th grade the opportunity to commit to making the right choices, and influence their friends to make the right choices, too."
Girls enter the Best Friends program during 4th, 5th or 6th grade, and continue with the curriculum until high school graduation. The program's concept celebrates the joys of adolescence free from drugs and alcohol and the complications of sexual activity. Best Friends girls receive more than 110 hours of guidance and activities each year through a program of seven components: discussions, role model presentations, mentors, physical fitness classes, cultural enrichment events, community service activities and the annual recognition ceremony.
The Diamond Council of America's donation is going toward buying the diamond pins the girls receive upon graduation from the Best Friends course. "When we first heard about the Best Friends program, we immediately tried to think of some way we could help," says Chandler. "With the members of DCA all being in the diamond business, we thought it would be perfect if we could offer to buy the diamond for the graduation pins. We hope we'll be able to continue to contribute annually."
Best Friends was developed in 1987 by Elayne Bennett, a faculty member at the Georgetown University Child Development Center. Armed with two foundation grants, Bennett took the pilot program to Washington, DC public schools. Now more than 4,000 girls and young women in 14 states participate in Best Friends nationwide. "One of our proudest accomplishments is our 100% high school graduation rate for Best Friends Diamond Girls," says Bennett. "The fact that Best Friends girls graduate with goals, whether college or employment, is a testament that this problem can be solved." Chandler agrees. "This is the perfect opportunity for DCA to reach out, rewarding these girls and young women for their commitment to building character and self-respect that can last a lifetime," said Chandler. "DCA is proud to be a part of Best Friends."
The Diamond Council of America, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., was founded in 1944 as a forum to educate jewelry sales professionals about diamond and gems. The organization provides the professional jeweler with an opportunity to earn certification in diamonds and gemstones, and gives salespeople the knowledge and training necessary to make them successful. Today, the DCA represents more than 2,000 jewelry stores and leading suppliers of diamonds and gems across the country.