A Tucson nonprofit is expanding its programming to give families a place where children and adults can play, learn and connect together, regardless of income.

Second Sky is a community hub featuring an adventure playground, event space, food and beverage offerings, an immersive digital environment and a STEAM support center.

The organization aims to create a multigenerational space where children and adults can learn, play and connect in the same environment.

"We believe kids and adults can co-habit the same or adjacent spaces," said Robin Kremer, Second Sky's development and operations manager. "We want to bring to Tucson what every small European city has, a central square surrounded by things to do for everyone."

Second Sky operates in an area where access matters. In 2024, 18.6% of children in Tucson were living below the federal poverty line, a rate higher than state and national averages, according to the University of Arizona's MAP Dashboard.

Arizona ranked 42nd nationally in overall child well-being in the 2025 Kids Count Data Book, with education outcomes contributing significantly to the state's low standing.

Kremer said those realities shape how the organization builds its programming. Families can attend open play hours for free, with community partners hosting childbirth education classes, educational workshops and STEM programming.

Revenue generated from event space rentals helps support the nonprofit's broader programming and mission.

"We balance rentals with community programming," Kremer said. "Our goal is to reinvest in families."

Unlike traditional playgrounds, Second Sky is built around the "adventure playground" model, a design that encourages exploration, creativity and what Kremer calls "risk play."

"We want kids to climb, explore and challenge themselves," she said. "Not just use equipment in one prescribed way."

That philosophy of hands-on exploration extends beyond the playground. This year, seven students from the University of Arizona's College of Engineering are contributing to the space through a capstone project supported by Dean David Hahn to design an interactive waterway that will stretch across the property.

Leading the project is Matthew Hanson, a senior majoring in systems engineering with a minor in mechanical engineering. He is supported by Sam Bonaparte, who oversees procurement; mechanical design leads Manuel Garcia Soto and Johnathan Hart; Ryan Basil and Julio Luzania, handling electrical systems; and environmental planning director Cierra Teevan.

"In our senior design course, we're given a list of projects and rank our top choices," Hanson said. "When I interviewed with the sponsor and learned more about Second Sky, it felt like something real, something that could actually exist beyond a classroom."

The project brings together students from different engineering disciplines to design a water feature that blends play with fluid dynamics and energy concepts, and could potentially generate electricity to power lighting elements onsite.

"We're trying to make it look natural to the desert," Hanson said. "At the end of the day, we just want kids to get their hands dirty and play in some water."

For Kremer, the partnership represents exactly what Second Sky was meant to become: a living space shaped by community collaboration.

"We've built relationships with like-minded organizations and the university," she said. "This is about bringing resources together in one place."

As Second Sky continues expanding its programming, Kremer hopes the space becomes something deeper than a destination.

"We want people to leave saying, 'That was the best time ever,'" she said. "We want kids begging to come back."

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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