AYCO

Since 1998, AYCO has been promoting the participation of youth in circus arts and supporting circus educators.

AYCO's main activities are:

• Providing information and training,
• Connecting and convening,
• Advocacy,
• Setting standards and guidelines for safety for the circus sector in the USA,
• Developing Social Circus in the USA,
• Supporting educators and organizations via the American Circus Educators Association (ACE) branch, founded in 2014.

In support of these aims, AYCO and ACE:

• Produce the alternating biennial American Youth Circus Festival and ACE Educators’ Conference,
• Host regional circus festivals and showcases,
• Foster communication among circus arts educators and organizations,
• Collaborate with other circus networks around the world,
• Publish American Circus Educators Magazine,
• Provide circus arts coaches with training procedures and guidelines for safety standards,
• Promote youth circus activities through positive media coverage and regular newsletters,
• Advocate for increased support for circus education,
• Send member ambassadors to circus performances around the USA,
• Support studies about the positive outcomes of circus,
• Develop social circus via the Social Circus Initiative.

Members

400 members, which range from individuals to organizations:

• youth,
• adult,
• circus educators
• circus schools,
• therapeutic circus programs,
• social circus,
• recreational circus,
• community circus,
• pre-professional training programs,
• professional training programs.

Affiliation

• Americans for the Arts

Learn more about this member

Founded in 1998

Management

• President: Jesse AlFord
• Executive director: Tara Jacob

Location

American Youth Circus Organization – AYCO
PO Box 482
Ithaca, NY 14851
United States