Who We Are


Meet our transformative board (from top left): John Swainston, Amanda Lacson, Judy Fort Brenneman, Jennifer-Netoi, Elizabeth Chesla, Joy Zimmerman, Kelly Hams Pearson, Cheryl Kane, Kitra Cooper, Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Ashley Barnes, and Amy Gross. They come to you from eight states as well as dozens of years of TLA through writing, education, facilitation, coaching, teaching, advocacy, counseling, innovating, and... (Learn more)


The TLA Network exists to support and promote individuals and organizations that use the spoken, written, or sung word as a tool for personal and community transformation.

The Transformative Language Arts Network (TLAN) is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in our offerings, organization, and aspirations. Words have the power to question, subvert, and transform limiting cultural narratives as well as reinforce entrenched stories and stereotypes. The TLA Network wants to make clear that we celebrate and uplift conversations across identity and difference, whether rooted in race, religion, social class, ethnicity, disability, health, gender, sexual orientation, age, military service, and other identities. In the past we have responded to a lack of diversity by actively recruiting underrepresented groups to: present and keynote at the Power of Words conference; serve on the TLAN board; teach classes; and contribute to our publications. We will continue to look at ways to incorporate greater access and representation in all of our projects, not just through the power of words but through the specifics of our practices.


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The Transformative Language Arts Network is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

1741 Valley Forge Road, #175, Worcester, PA 19490 | tlan.coordinator@gmail.com

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