Image

Hey Kansas City!

Welcome to our Transformations website! You’ll be able to learn more about our services and team of advisors, access our calendar of programs to see what topics our upcoming workshops will be addressing and get connected to other community resources that support trans and gender expansive youth in our communities.

Image
Image
Image
Download RFP

What is Transformations?

Transformations is a transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) and gender expansive youth social and support drop-in group in the Kansas City area for young people (12-18 years old) who self-identify as TGNC or are questioning their gender identity.

Transformations formed in 2016, after the success of that summer’s KC TGNC Summit: Building a Leadership Fountain for TGNC people of color and TGNC youth, organized by SocialScope Productions.

Image
Image
Check out our awesome summit program here!
Image

Our group is intentionally led by TGNC adult advisors and allows for unique peer-support and informal mentorship models to both combat the harmful effects of stereotypes, bullying and violence, and empower TGNC youth to not only survive, but to thrive. We are proud to be able to provide all adult advisors and TGNC guest facilitators financial stipends for their time, energy and wisdom.

A separate parent and guardian support group meets for adults who are caring for TGNC youth, within the same drop-in space and time that our confidential youth group meets. This is an informal group that brings together affirming adults and those who are seeking more support from their adult peers. This adult group organically formed as many of the youth's guardians were driving 30-45 minutes one way to bring their young folx to our space and needing a place to congregate and form their own community of support while their youth meet.

Image

Services

DUE TO COVID_19, Transformations KC current meets virtually with some outdoor socially-distanced offerings!  Check out our program calendar for details. Transformations meets twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 6-8pm. We meet at the Center for Spiritual Living, 1014 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 64111. You do not need to register for Transformations. Just drop in!

Image

Serving the trans, gender non-binary, and gender expansive youth of Kansas City is our passion. We partner with reStart and Synergy's Street Outreach Services and their advocates help provide transportation and chaperone TGNC youth who are in shelters, transitional living programs, and/or facing homelessness and housing displacement.

On a broad level, Transformations works from 5 core frameworks rooted from anti-oppression, trauma informed care, harm reduction, positive youth development and transformative justice. We often discuss and incorporate these concepts and ideas into our programming with the youth. We create quarterly program calendars with workshops that are TGNC youth informed and catered to their interests and publish these on our Facebook and Instagram.

Image

A separate parent and guardian support group meets for adults who are caring for TGNC youth, within the same drop-in space and time that our confidential youth group meets.

The Guardian group is informal and brings together affirming adults and those seeking more support from their adult peers. This adult group organically formed as many of the youth's guardians were driving 30-45 minutes one way to bring their young folx to our space and needing a place to congregate and form their own community of support while their youth meet. Please reach out to us directly to learn more about this guardian group and the location of these meetings.

UPCOMING  Events

Location

Transformations has a new meeting location!

Transformations meets twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 6-8pm at the Center for Spiritual Living, 1014 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 64111.

Workshops

We take pride in creating engaging curriculum, providing nutritious meals, and hosting intentional workshops for our youth! At each group, we have created a common culture of language, respect, and boundaries. We facilitate the beginning of group with our “ROPES” ground rules and close each group with a check-out using our “TRAFFIC LIGHT” activity.

Image
Traffic Light
Image
ROPES

Core Concepts

How We Approach Our Work, Treat Others and Do What We Do! 

Transformations operates from these 5 core frameworks. Check out our fun handout about these frameworks/approaches to care below.

Image
Frameworks

Anti-Oppression

Recognize the oppressions that exist in our society, largely based on an individual’s access to personal, institutional and societal power, and focuses on ending these oppressive practices through social justice.

  • Connects various forms of oppression and violence TGNC people experience to intimate relationships
  • Acknowledges privilege and power

Anti-Oppression

Recognize the oppressions that exist in our society, largely based on an individual’s access to personal, institutional and societal power, and focuses on ending these oppressive practices through social justice.

  • Connects various forms of oppression and violence TGNC people experience to intimate relationships
  • Acknowledges privilege and power

Trauma Informed

An approach that involves understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma.

  • All TGNC individuals are survivors of violence and trauma
  • Understands violent experiences as part of a larger spectrum of violence/systems of violence

Harm Reduction

A set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with behaviors traditionally viewed as “harmful” or “bad.”

  • A strength-based model that connects to the anti-violence movement
  • Safety planning and options
  • Individual decisions are accepted
  • No pre-defined outcomes
  • Importance of relationship building

Positive Youth Development

Describes any intentional efforts of other youth, adults, communities, government agencies and schools to provide opportunities for youth to enhance their interests, skills, and abilities.

  • Treat an individual as worthy and capable, even when the individual does not act or feel that way is unconditional positive regard.
  • Primarily focused on youth-led activities and leadership models
  • Peer-to-peer conversations and trainings
  • Adults are accountable to youth, their needs and experiences

Transformative Justice

A way of practicing alternative justice which acknowledges individual experiences and identities and works to actively resist the state's criminal injustice system.

  • Safety, healing, and agency for survivors
  • Accountability and transformation for people who harm
  • Community action, healing, and accountability
  • Transformation of the social conditions that perpetuate violence - systems of oppression and exploitation, domination, and state violence
Image
Instagram reports: Please check the settings
Image
Instagram reports: Please check the settings

REACH OUT