Diamond In the Rough

Diamond in the Rough Inc., is a 501C3 organization that is geared  to provide education and self-empowerment to African American girls in the Chicagoland area.

Diamond in the Rough supports the philosophy of young girls being educated and informed to as much information to make informed and conscious decisons about their lives and body as they transition from a girl to a woman.

The mission of Diamond in the Rough is to provide knowledge and life skills for African American girls to empower themselves to "shine" like a diamond in their communities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if new HIV infections continue at their current rate worldwide, women with HIV may soon outnumber men with HIV.  What will be the future for our girls?

In response, Diamond in the Rough, Inc., was created to address this issue and others  by developing educational workshops specifically for African American girls to reduce the stigma and cases of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. 

The program is comprised of a series of workshops from cooking to etiquette , while incorporating workshops in HIV/STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) education and prevention.  In addition, the program will incorporating strong female influences of distinctive women in of various occupations within the Chicagoland area. Physicians, nurses, lawyers and entreprenuers will facilitate and/or participate in the workshops to convey the information and be an example for mentorship by providing positive career exposures to the girls.

"Invest in the human soul.  Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough."

Mary McLeod Bethune

Our Purpose

• Engage girls in educational workshops that incorporate women leaders in different careers within the Chicagoland area.
• Promote life skill trainings, and health and wellness education to motivate girls to make positive changes in their lives.
• Provide girls the opportunity to learn and engage in nontraditional workshops while building a peer network.
• Provide girls witht the knowledge and skills to educate themselves so they will be equipped to make conscious decisions and educate their peers in the community.

Contact Us Today!

If you know "diamonds" that are in need of our workshops or if you are interested in making a difference in a "diamond's" life, please give us a call.

We look forward in hearing from you.  773-617-2949 or

octavia@diamondntherough.org