National Study Shows Positive Impact of Circus Programming on Youth At Risk

The David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality conducted a study commissioned by the American Youth Circus Organization (AYCO) to assess program quality and youth outcomes in the AYCO Social Circus Network in comparison to other youth programs and those known to promote social and emotional learning among participating adolescents. The study was conducted over nine months and eleven sites, with eight participating organizations. The study showed that youth in these social circus programs made progress in the development of social and emotional skills at the level of other exemplary youth development programs and well ahead of a nonselective group of afterschool youth programs.