American Youth Circus Organization - AYCO

Since 1998, AYCO has been promoting the participation of youth in circus arts and supporting circus educators through the following activities:
- 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