Springfield’s Young Professionals plan giveback project

The Young Professionals of Greater Springfield will soon be kicking off a fundraiser to support the addition of a House of Knowledge at Downtown’s National Road Commons.

The Young Professionals is a group for people between the ages of 21 and 40 who live and/or work in greater Springfield. The age range is a suggestion, not a mandate, but is a good guide for who might take an interest in the organization and find the most value in its networking opportunities, says Kelcie Webster, visitor center and marketing coordinator for the Greater Springfield Partnership.

“The purpose of the YP group is to bring together young professionals in the area,” she says. “It’s a great way to network, get to know one another, and create a sense of community, whether or not you live in Springfield.

“It’s a great way to feel like you belong and build that connection to the Springfield community.”

In the past, the YP group has hosted both virtual and in-person events. Some of the events have included a rooftop tour of Springfield from the second floor patio of Buckeye Sports Lodge, a tour of The Abilities Connection (TAC) Industries, and a meal-packing event to support Second Harvest Food Bank, Webster says.

On Tuesday, Nov. 16, the YPs will have an event that includes a tour of the Springfield Museum of Art’s newest exhibit and kicks off a fundraiser to build a House of Knowledge community library location at National Road Commons. Houses of Knowledge are a project created by Conscious Connect and support promoting community literacy.

“We thought this would be a good way to start a connection with Conscious Connect, and adding House of Knowledge to National Road Commons is also a great way to program the park and help highlight the area there,” Webster says. “This will be just one way to contribute to the Downtown community.”

In the past, the YPs also helped fund the Welcome to Springfield mural.

Anyone interested in learning more about the YP organization or joining and visit https://www.greaterspringfield.com/get-involved/young-professionals.

If you’d like to come to the Nov. 16 museum event to learn more about the YP organization and have not already joined, contact Webster by email at kwebster@greaterspringfield.com for details.

Any individuals, businesses or organizations interested in supporting the House of Knowledge project also can email Webster at kwebster@greaterspringfield.com.