Where Youth is Still Golden

AT ALMOST EVERY LEVEL, THE YAPAtorium was made possible thanks to community effort. Even their 20th anniversary party is a celebration for the staff and patrons that have made such a milestone possible.

The party, which was held on August 9, was open for anyone who had been involved with YAPA over the years. Service awards for outstanding volunteers were presented by YAPA’s Youth Board. They also collected memorabilia to put into a time capsule.

Director Nick Eilts said that YAPA’s official anniversary was in May, but they cruised right by it. A summer event was easier to plan, and current patrons are out of school for the summer.

The YAPAtorium moved into its first and only facility in 2005, but the Youth-Adult Partnership of Aberdeen has been around longer than that. In the late 1990s, a community needs assessment determined that there was both an issue with teenage substance consumption and a need for youth activities.

Mya Whiting

“There were no free community spaces for kids,” Eilts said.

The Youth-Adult Partnership of Aberdeen – YAPA for short – was formed to meet those community needs.

Volunteers of America stepped up to the task of developing programming to address these needs. Joshua “Vinny” Andrews, who had returned to Aberdeen after working with youth in Dallas, Texas, joined the cause, and YAPA was born.

In the beginning, YAPA functioned as a group without a proper home base. Activities and board meetings with youth and adults were held at any venue that would host them. Many of these activities were held at restaurants and spaces like the Red Rooster Coffee House.

When the Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center moved into the old Central High School building, a new opportunity was presented to YAPA.

“This is the most space the ARCC ever had, and they were trying to think of what they could do with it,” Eilts said. The city made a connection with YAPA, and they were invited into the new space under the city’s recreation department. In May of 2005, they moved into their first and only location. Former Senator Tom Daschle was informed of the project as well, and he helped with a grant that funded the move. The United Way also helped with funding and continues to do so to this day.

In the new building, YAPA became known as the YAPAtorium. Eilts was one of the first employees along with Kate Hauck.

In August 2017, Andrews stepped down from his position as director. Eilts had returned from living abroad in Chile and was hired to take Andrews’ place.

Around the time of Andrews’ departure, there was also a shift in youth needs. As attendance among older high school students decreased, more middle school students started to show interest.

Computers and video game consoles are popular at the YAPAtorium

The YAPAtorium has its own pool league.

The YAPAtorium was initially created to address teenage substance consumption and provide the youth in Aberdeen with safer alternatives.

“Having a transition with a new supervisor was an opportune time to make some of these changes,” Eilts said.

As they looked at demographics and reviewed the needs of the community, there was a demand for programming aimed at middle school aged children. To accommodate younger patrons, YAPA’s age requirements gradually went from age 13 down to age 10.

“The middle school age range needed and wanted a space dedicated to them more than high school,” Eilts said. Teenagers were more likely to have the freedom that came with part-time jobs and access to cars while middle schoolers didn’t have those opportunities.

When YAPA first started, it was primarily to provide visual art and music opportunities to kids. When YAPA finally had their own space, they were able to provide patrons with a music room and hosted live music, open mic nights, and events like Battle of the Bands.

The Red Rooster also contributed a lot to the local music scene by giving opportunities to bands that went on to perform at YAPA.

Former staff members Tanner Cruse and Bridget Solsaaput in the work to develop YAPA’s music and art scenes respectively. Cruse hosted many open mic nights and band practices in the early 2010s, and Solsaa’s collaborative art projects adorned the walls and ceilings of YAPA for many years. Alex Harper, another former staff member, organized group art projects and provided designs for events like the Hub City Hoedown logo.

In addition to their art and music scene, YAPA has consistently hosted e-sports events for kids. Other groups have hosted similar events over the years, including Treasure I-Lan.

YAPA shared a patronage with Treasure I-Lan, and kids went back and forth between the two for different gaming events. Ross Burdick was a huge supporter of early e-sports and helped provide activities that kids were interested in. Harboring the “nerd space” helped make YAPA a relevant space for kids.

“Kids had the option of those two places or a LAN party at home,” Eilts said. “We nurtured and fostered a community, and they did too.”

YAPA has also had a presence at many city events, including selling kettle corn at farmer’s markets and selecting music for the Pig Out music festival. They also host the Hub City Hoedown skate competition, which is a spiritual successor to skate competitions they’ve hosted in the past. YAPA’s Reel Skate program, while on hiatus this summer, is open to kids interested in skateboarding and rollerblading. Skaters meet up and film videos that showcase their skills. Free helmets funded by a grant from Change Network South Dakota via the Bush Foundation are also distributed at these events for any child in need.

As trends among children evolve and change, YAPA does their best to adapt.

“We still rely heavily on the Youth Board,” Eilts said. “As stuff peters out, we recognize it, but kids not so much. But kids know where the next big thing is going to come from.”

After a successful 20 years, the staff at YAPA hope to have several more, and that’s all thanks to the members of the Aberdeen community.

“It’s a good thing that YAPA fell in with the Parks and Rec department,” Eilts said. “Events like the Haunted Forest, Holiday Celebration, and Senior Games are all collaborations with the community. Groups like the Sertoma Club, Optimist Club, and Girl Scouts help, and we rely on those outside collaborations to make things work. That has always been the ethos of the Parks and Recreation department, and YAPA is no different.”…