Teens get new hangout at downtown Palmer youth center

What you need to know:

• Officials at the new Youth ARC*HIVE Christian-based nonprofit youth center and event space in downtown Palmer are aiming to fill the gap left by the closure of the nearby YAK youth center last year. The facility offers a wide range of recreational activities and is open to teens and the public on select days.
• The center’s mission is to provide a safe, engaging space for youth while promoting Christian values. Director Carol Dorman is actively seeking adult volunteers—especially older adults—to help staff the center and mentor young people through games and activities.
• The center also hosts public and private events, including movie marathons and low-cost rentals.

PALMER – Carol Dorman is hoping to create a buzz with the Mat-Su’s newest event space and youth center.

“There’s something for everyone,” Dorman said during an interview at the Youth ARC*HIVE, a youth lounge and amusement rental venue located in the basement of the Eagle Hotel building on Colony Way in downtown Palmer.

Dorman said the Christian-based nonprofit for which she serves as director opened the center this spring. She hopes to fill a void left when a similar nonprofit, the Christian-based Youth of Alaska (YAK) center, closed its doors last year. The new facility includes pool tables, a movie room, a dance floor, a food court, exercise equipment, a balance beam room, board games, a stage, a foosball table, a VR headset, multiple rooms, and more.

The center operates as a free “youth center” for teens ages 13 to 17 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 3 to 5 p.m., and from 5 to 6 p.m. for all club members.

Memberships are available for teens and young adults ages 13 to 24. It's also open to the public Saturdays from 3 to 5 p.m. and hosts an adult prayer meet-up Saturdays from 5 to 5:30 p.m.

A typical day sees 10 to 15 teens drop by the center, she said.

Dorman previously worked as the manager at the YAK before it closed. She said she has a passion for helping young people and hopes the new facility becomes a safe space for kids to be themselves. 

“They have so much energy and so much hope in their lives,” she said. 

Dorman is seeking adult volunteers to help staff the center. Volunteers need to be at least 25 years old, pass a background check, and be of the Christian faith. Dorman said anyone wishing to volunteer can contact her at curator@youtharchive.com or by visiting the center’s website at youtharchive.org. She said she is particularly interested in finding older volunteers to share their wisdom.

“I’d love for Boomers to volunteer,” she said.

Dorman said she hopes older volunteers will be able to connect with their younger protégés through games and activities that may be foreign to modern youth.

“Someone teach us bridge!”

Dorman opened the center with the help of a $6,000 grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation and thanked the Dobrova family, which owns the building, for allowing her to use the space for a discounted rental rate. 

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She spent roughly six months getting the space ready, she said. Previously used as storage for the hotel, Dorman transformed it into a warm, welcoming space with paintings of knights and damsels on the wall, comfy couches, carpeting, and plenty of chairs for lounging.

The center’s name stands for Youth Amusement Recreation Center * Hope, Integrity, Veritas (truth), Education. Its mission statement says the nonprofit’s “aim is to speak truth into the lives of young people and enable others to do the same.”

Dorman said her desire to help youth comes in part from her strong belief in the Bible.

“I just love the book,” she said.

While Dorman said she hopes to promote Christianity through conversations with youth who visit the center, there’s another component to the space that is completely nonsecular: event rentals. Dorman said the space is available to any group that wishes to rent for a fee of just $1 per person, per hour (with a $15 minimum). She hopes local youth groups will utilize the center for events and noted that it’s a great space for homeschool families. 

Dorman said the response to the new center has been good so far, with several new teens discovering the facility over the summer. During a Halloween event last week, several young people expressed excitement when they heard the space was now operational.

The Youth ARC*HIVE also hosts special events, such as a “Back to the Future” movie marathon this week. The time-bending film series starring Michael J. Fox holds a special place in Dorman’s heart — she briefly brushed up against the legendary “Marty McFly” during a scene in “Back to the Future III.” The California-raised Dorman was an extra in the film and can be seen when McFly runs out of a tavern during a fight with Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen and rushes past two women.

“I’m the one on the left,” Dorman said. 

Dorman said the Youth ARC*HIVE will be open throughout the winter and hopes young people will drop in to check it out. She could also use a few more volunteers and parents to help staff the facility, she said.

“I need more help,” she said.

Matt Tunseth is a freelance writer from Southcentral Alaska. Email him at matthew.tunseth@gmail.com