Tucson Young Professionals is launching a new initiative aimed at helping working parents balance career growth with family life, creating space for professional development while keeping children part of the experience.

The new TYParents initiative will host multigenerational workshops and events designed to build community, expand networks and address the challenges many young professionals face in raising families.

Founded in 2007, Tucson Young Professionals works to attract, retain and promote young professionals in the region while ensuring they have a voice in Tucson’s future. The organization serves a range of members, including “starters” entering or reentering the workforce, “mid-career professionals” looking to grow their network and skills, and “rising stars” who are ready to mentor others and advocate for inclusive development.

The idea for TYParents stems from a need the organization has seen for years.

“We’ve been dancing around parent programming for a couple years now,” said Executive Director Jessica Sueskind. “We knew that we had members with kids or members who were having kids. The majority of our programming was just not geared toward families.”

TYP has hosted occasional events that allowed parents to participate while bringing their children. Now the organization is formalizing the effort into both a TYParents program and a TYParents committee.

The committee will include leadership opportunities for members who want to plan events and take on behind-the-scenes roles.

Sueskind will sit on the TYParents board with TYP board member Xochitl Wilson and Gina Valencia, a longtime TYP member.

Both Wilson and Valencia are parents with experience in community leadership.

The first TYParents workshop will take place March 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Second Sky, a multigenerational learning space in southeast Tucson.

The event is designed as a professional development workshop for parents that offers on-site STEM-based activities for children.

“I think the biggest difference is that multigenerational format,” Sueskind said. “The parents will sit on one side of the room and have that panel discussion at the same time that their kids are also getting that learning moment.”

Sueskind said Second Sky was a natural partner because it was built with multigenerational learning in mind. The nonprofit was founded by Joe McConnell, a local engineer who owns Creative Machines and has spent his career building interactive museum exhibits and educational experiences.

Second Sky offers science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics activities for kids and adults, with programs designed for ages ranging from early childhood to teenagers.

Second Sky Development and Operations Manager Robin Evans Kremer said the partnership with Tucson Young Professionals will help parents access resources while their children stay engaged nearby.

“We will be educating with STEM programs with the kids, basically entertaining the kids so mom and dad can get education about education,” Kremer said.

The biggest challenges for working parents in Tucson are child care and finding community, Sueskind said, adding that many members have said they’d attend more TYP events if they had options for child care, especially for evening events.

She also said parents can struggle to build connections with others in similar stages of life.

“I want them to know that this community is a piece for them as parents and not just as professionals,” she said.

Future TYParents events will build on the launch workshop and include sessions focused on school choice and navigating education options in Tucson. Four TYParents events are planned for 2026.

Sueskind said her goal is for parents to leave feeling less alone.

“My biggest thing that I love about TYP is this validation that you’re not alone in your experience,” Sueskind said. “Just knowing that there are other young parents out there in it with you.”

McKenna Manzo is a graduate student at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at mckennamanzo@arizona.edu.

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