Diamond Hill And LifeTown Expand Partnership and Unveil New Student Library

The Diamond Hill Capital Management Library will be available to LifeTown students beginning this fall, and will provide resources and education including financial literacy to children with special needs in Columbus.

News provided by

Diamond Hill Investment Group, Inc.

Sep 03, 2015, 04:15 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc., a subsidiary of Diamond Hill Investment Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: DHIL), has expanded its ongoing partnership with LifeTown Columbus by providing a four-year grant which will enhance LifeTown's library and include new educational tools and materials for LifeTown's students.

LifeTown is a unique, interactive world where children with special needs practice important life skills through role play, including making and keeping appointments, visiting the library, banking, shopping, and applying for jobs. The realistic, indoor town was designed with parents, therapists, educators, and professionals to meet the needs of children with disabilities and help prepare them for life in the real world.

Financial literacy is a critical success factor for students' future independence; however, basic skills like creating a budget or paying bills are often overlooked as part of their education. The Diamond Hill Capital Management Library will help provide LifeTown students with an opportunity to learn about managing their finances and other important life skills.

Diamond Hill is an independent investment management firm based in Columbus, Ohio. Diamond Hill has supported LifeTown for several years through its employee volunteer program. By expanding the partnership, the company is able to provide support and expertise in the areas of education including financial literacy.

"At Diamond Hill, our employees share a love of learning, and we strive to continually educate ourselves," said Ric Dillon, chief executive officer, Diamond Hill. "LifeTown is a fantastic organization, and we wanted to share our passion for education with these students by investing in their futures and helping to prepare them for success in the real world."

"Libraries are an important resource for information, but are also an outlet for entertainment and personal growth," said Rabbi Areyah Kaltmann, executive director, LifeTown. "The vast majority of LifeTown students are from impoverished backgrounds and may not have access to literature or outings to the library, an experience that can open the door to a lifelong passion for intellectual growth."

In addition to checking out books and magazines, students at the Diamond Hill Capital Management Library will learn how to use computers to conduct research. By understanding how to access print and online resources, the library will provide students with the tools that connect them to the subjects that interest them, as well as those that are necessary for future independence, such as financial literacy. The Diamond Hill Capital Management Library will be available to students visiting LifeTown beginning in September.

About LifeTown Columbus:
LifeTown offers children with developmental disabilities, including autism and other physical and cognitive impairments, unparalleled access to a world-class facility with a scientifically proven model for gaining and practicing life, social, and pre-employment skills. Researchers at Wayne State University studied LifeTown's model and determined that is it the most effective model available for providing life skills to children with special needs. After weeks of preparation in their own traditional school classrooms, students in grades K-12 venture to LifeTown to demonstrate and deepen their knowledge of skills directly related to their Individual Education Program (IEP). LifeTown's primary goal is to educate and empower its students to live independently as members of their community.

About Diamond Hill:
We are an independent investment management firm with significant employee ownership and $16.6 billion in assets under management as of August 31, 2015. We provide investment management services to institutions and individuals through mutual funds, institutional separate accounts, exchange traded funds, and private investment funds. Our entire investment team shares the same intrinsic value investment philosophy focused on absolute returns, and our interests are firmly aligned with our clients through significant investment in our strategies.

Since 2006, Diamond Hill has contributed to a donor-advised fund of The Columbus Foundation to support tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. We focus our charitable contributions on the communities in which we conduct business, including the personal philanthropy of our employees through matching gifts.

For more information, visit www.diamond-hill.com.

SOURCE Diamond Hill Investment Group, Inc.