The North Texas Youth Education Town (YET) opened its doors - officially - on Monday, with a lavish grand opening that featured mayors, Hall of Fame football players, a legendary NFL owner, the NFL's Commissioner, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Cowboys mascot Rowdy, dozens of kids itching to get started and enough confetti to fill a city street.

"It starts now," YET Operations Director Kevin Dean Fuller said of the center, which will include a dance studio, art room, computer lab, music room, gymnasium and Dallas Cowboys Fitness Zone. "We're open for business. And I can't tell you how excited that makes me."

After getting its feet wet by staging 30 events over 30 days, the YET Center is embracing the prospect of daily life, opening up its doors to provide educational and recreational opportunities after school and on weekends for the region's disadvantaged youth as well as enrichment programs for adults and high school students preparing for college.

Located at 712 W. Abram St. at the Salvation Army, the center was partially funded by the National Football League as a Super Bowl XLV legacy project. The Gene and Jerry Jones Family Arlington Youth Foundation matched the NFL's $1 million donation. Jones was on hand for the opening along with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Mayor Robert Cluck, who asked the crowd, "How great is this?"