Transition Academy

10/16/2026

TTA recently brought together five amazing community organizations to share what support is available for youth with disabilities in Kansas City:

✅ ReDiscover
✅ EITAS
✅ Center for Developmentally Disabled (CDD)
✅ Easterseals Midwest
✅ Vocational Rehabilitation

From mental health services and Medicaid navigation to job coaching, summer work programs, and day habilitation, this session covers it all.

If you have a young person with a disability approaching the end of high school (or already there), this video is worth watching. Share it with a family who needs it. 👇

🎥 The full workshop video and blog about key takeaways are on our website thetransitionacademy . org click on "what we do" and then news

10/15/2026

Join the conversation about how neighborhoods can become more inclusive and accessible:

The Center for Neighborhoods and the Council of Neighborhood Leaders invite you to a Lunch + Learn featuring Robert Honan, Chief CIL Services Officer with The Whole Person.

🗓️ Date: October 22
🕚 Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
💻 Location: Zoom

→ The Zoom link will be sent via email after you register. Sign up here:

https://t.e2ma.net/click/4vry4v/8yw3jk3/8mrfo9c

10/12/2026

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! 💙

TTA's KC DiversAbility College and Career Fair (back in April) highlights exactly what this month is about: young people with disabilities seeing their futures clearly, families finding resources they didn't know existed, and a community showing up to make it all possible.

"It makes it easier. When I graduate high school, I have a lot of options."

Watch the full recap video to hear more 🎥👇
🔗 https://youtu.be/H3TNZRlrR5c

For families of young people with disabilities, the transition from...

10/09/2026

This week, we had the privilege of honoring David Warm, retiring Executive Director of the Mid-America Regional Council, as the inaugural recipient of The Transition Academy’s Overcomers Award.

David’s story reflects perseverance, decades of community service, and a deeply personal connection to our mission. As the father of a daughter with Down syndrome, he understands firsthand that helping young people find their path and build a meaningful life takes more than a family.

It takes a community.

At The Transition Academy, we see every day how much it matters when students and families have people behind them who recognize their potential, offer support and help create opportunities for the future.

David, thank you for sharing your story and for your years of service to the Kansas City community.

We’re also grateful to our sponsors for helping bring the Overcomers Series to life: Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Mid-America Regional Council, City of Kansas City, MO, Jackson County, Missouri, Health Forward Foundation and Commerce Bank.

More to come on David’s story and the lessons from our inaugural conversation!

10/07/2026

At The Transition Academy, we work with students every day who navigate challenges, overcome adversity, and build their own paths forward.

That’s why we wanted to create something special: a new series that celebrates leaders in our community who have also faced adversity, persevered through challenges, and understand what it means to keep moving forward.

Today, we’re launching the Overcomers Series, a fireside-chat and awards series designed to honor and celebrate stories of resilience.

We’re grateful to the organizations whose support is helping us bring this vision to life:

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Mid-America Regional Council
City of Kansas City, MO
Jackson County, Missouri
Health Forward Foundation

Thank you for helping us lift up stories of hope and perseverance... and overcoming the odds.

Stay tuned for more about who we're honoring and why....

10/05/2026

Knowing your strengths is so important. 💙

Last week, our Crossroads Charter Schools students learned about Agilities — a free tool from The DeBruce Foundation that helps young people discover what they're naturally good at and explore careers that match those strengths.

For students starting to think about life after high school, this kind of self-discovery is everything. Thank you to our guest speaker, Kristin, for introducing this to our students. Next week, we take a deep dive into the testing and really see where our students shine.

10/01/2026

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and at TTA, that hits close to home. 💙

The young people we work with learn differently, process the world differently, and have just as much excitement about their futures as any other student. This month we also recognize awareness campaigns for dyslexia, Down syndrome, ADHD, learning disabilities, sensory processing differences, spina bifida, and more.

Some of these conditions are visible. Many are not. But every student facing these challenges deserves real support and a real path forward.

Disability is not one story. With some support and encouragement, we can help our young people write their own story. 💙

09/25/2026

Employment is possible — and MPACT wants to help your family get there. Our next Missouri Family Employment Awareness Training (MOFEAT) is heading to Kansas City, and it's completely free!

🗓️ Friday, October 2 & Saturday, October 3, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM each day
📍 Junior League of Kansas City, MO, 9215 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64114

Register for one day or attend both — it's up to you! This training is designed for Missouri families, transition-age students, young adults with disabilities, and the professionals who walk alongside them.

Topics include solutions to employment barriers, customized employment, maintaining benefits while working, and local agency resources.

Save your spot and learn more: missouriparentsact.org/mofeat
📞 1-800-743-7634 | 📧 [email protected]

This training is presented by Missouri Parents Act, with funding from Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation, in collaboration with Rehabilitation Services for the Blind.

09/24/2026

TTA Founder and CEO Kim Riley joined the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Leadership Exchange in Phoenix. The focus? Learning from eachother about lessons in economic growth, community development, and thinking big. 🌵

A highlight: Diane Gallagher of the KC Chamber made sure disability hiring was on the agenda by inviting Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC) to make the case for inclusion as an economic priority. In a room full of big conversations, that one hit home for us.

The closing session was a highlight too: Kathy Nelson of VisitKC shared lessons from Kansas City's FIFA World Cup run, while Jay Parry recounted helping Phoenix land the Super Bowl (you know, the one where the Chiefs won 🏆).

Grateful for the perspective and the reminder that the strongest cities make sure everyone has a seat at the table. 💙

09/21/2026

TTA is back in the classroom for another school year. The Transition Academy staff spent time today reconnecting with students, reviewing their transition plans and talking about the skills they want to build this year.

What's their purpose? What's their passion? What skills will help them reach their goals? And where can our team provide support?

Those conversations help us meet students where they are and make sure the year ahead focuses on helping each student prepare for what comes next.