Reinventing Ringmaster Residencies
Students demonstrate their spinning plate skills at a final 2016 Ringmaster Residency performance.
Circus Smirkus comes into classrooms year-round to offer artist-in-residency programs that use the circus arts to enliven the classroom, promote the arts and teach life skills to students throughout New England and beyond. While teaching circus skills, Ringmaster Residencies also introduces the “Circus Secrets,” engaging learning strategies that every child can use to improve their ability to gain new skills and concepts.
Now that the Every Student Succeeds Act has replaced No Child Left Behind, and many states are adopting the National Core Arts Standards, Circus Smirkus is adapting our curriculum to meet the needs of our changing educational culture. Circus Smirkus has recently completed work with educators and researchers to restructure residencies to better align with the requirements of this legislation.
Even better, we’re now more directly developing the Social and Emotional Learning of kids in our residencies. And we can prove it. In partnership with Cirque du Soleil and the American Youth Circus Organization, Smirkus is taking part in a nationwide study to demonstrate whether participation in the circus arts improves these social and interpersonal skills that are so critical for success in school and life.
Stay tuned while we continue to share developments about our participation in the study and our excitement about continuing to enhance and expand on American educational opportunities for social-emotional learning.
If you’re interested in learning about bringing a Ringmaster Residency program to your school or educational center, please email bill.merrylees@smirkus.org.
Filed under: Residences 
Source: Residences Feed
Reinventing Ringmaster Residencies