KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It's an exciting day for 20 Kansas City area teenagers graduating the Teens in Transition program.
The 10-week program includes teens who have been hand selected by KCPD school resource officers due to being at risk for exposure to violence criminal behavior.
The program focuses on life skills, team building, communication, addiction prevention, neighborhood challenges, anger management, conflict resolution, restorative justice and coping skills.
Jaxon Grant said he's thankful for the program and the lessons he learned along the way.
"We learned to move forward, never stop, you know, even if stuff gets hard, it's not the end of the world," Grant said.
The program also works to teach teens they don't have to give into peer pressure and they can be anything they want to.
"Our goal here is to help build that for them and show them that there are people here beyond their households that do care for them, love and support them," said school resource officer Holly Zornes.
Jailen Burgan, a student at Central High School, said the program helped her with mental health struggles.
"Before I came here, I was more depressed and my anxiety was always going and stuff, and me coming here kind of calmed all that down," Burgan said.
At the end of the program, teens get to stand up and be recognized for their hard work in front of their family.
It's a special moment for parents like Jaxon's mother, Lea Grant.
"I'm really proud of him, I love all the officers up here, they're really cool, I mean it's just amazing," Lea Grant said.
—
