What CircEsteem does

CircEsteem is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood at 4730 N. Sheridan Rd. The organization's mission is to unite youth across backgrounds and identities by fostering self-esteem and mutual respect through the practice and performance of circus arts, applying what it labels a "Social Circus Methodology" that pairs technical circus-skills instruction (juggling, trapeze, silks, lyra, unicycle, acrobatics, tightwire, stilt walking, clowning) with social-emotional development, confidence-building, and civic engagement. It operates a portfolio of programs including HomeWork & CircusWork (a free after-school program delivered at multiple Chicago Public School sites), the Chicago Youth Circus (Saturday skills program at North and West locations), the Performance Troupe, a six-week Summer Circus Camp, in-school residencies and after-school activities serving 40+ CPS schools, adult classes (juggling, yoga, aerial, unicycle, Queer Circus Ensemble), and community bookings such as birthday parties and corporate events.

The business model blends earned revenue (program fees with sliding-scale and sibling discounts; community bookings for parties, performances, and workshops; in-school residency contracts) with contributed revenue (individual donations, foundation and corporate grants, and the Center Ring recurring monthly giving program). Approximately 16 full-time staff, including professional teaching artists, program managers, and a development/outreach function, deliver programming. Total operating budget is disclosed at approximately $2.2 million. Distribution occurs through a Salesforce-based self-serve registration portal, direct school-based delivery via CPS partnerships, and free public events such as Circus in the Parks (in partnership with the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series) and Circus in the Libraries.

CircEsteem serves multiple customer segments: youth ages 3–16 as the primary participant base, Chicago Public Schools as institutional buyers, families hosting private events, corporate and community organizations, and adults seeking recreational classes. The organization reports serving 10,000+ students since 2001 and over 750 youth across 21 Chicago neighborhoods during the first half of 2017 alone, with 60%+ of youth receiving financial assistance. Governance is provided by an independent Board of Directors; the organization is in active Executive Director transition, with current leader Dian Squire departing and a national search underway via Avra Search Partners.

Name

CircEsteem

Legal name

CircEsteem

Website

https://circesteem.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CircEsteem is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that delivers social-circus arts programs — including after-school, summer camp, Saturday classes, and school residencies — to youth ages 3–16, serving 40+ Chicago Public Schools with a ~$2.2M operating budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Circus Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Educational Services (61), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Play-Based SEL & Executive Function Skill-Building Programs (EDACAOAB)

Keywords

• Youth circus training
• Circus arts education
• After-school programs
• Summer camp programs
• Youth development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue from summer camp registration ($400-$450/week), Saturday circus classes, performance troupe, and adult classes. Fees vary by program with early bird discounts available.
2. Donations and Grants: Charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Monthly giving program (Center Ring) provides consistent funding. Over 60% of youth receive financial assistance.
3. Community Bookings: Revenue from birthday parties, corporate events, performances, workshops, and event space rentals. Includes strolling entertainment, circus shows, and interactive workshops.
4. School Programs: In-school residencies and after-school activities (ASA) provided to Chicago Public Schools. Duration 6-15 weeks, frequency 1 hour per session.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CircEsteem is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers youth circus arts education and social-emotional development programs across Chicago. Core offerings include free after-school tutoring + circus training (HomeWork & CircusWork), Saturday skills classes (Chicago Youth Circus), an advanced Performance Troupe, week-long summer camps, in-school residencies at 40+ Chicago Public Schools, adult classes, and fee-based community bookings such as birthday parties, corporate events, and performances.

Product overview

CircEsteem is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a unified portfolio of youth circus arts programs unified by its social circus methodology. The core programs include HomeWork & CircusWork (free after-school tutoring and circus arts), Chicago Youth Circus (Saturday skill development), Performance Troupe (advanced training and performance), and Circus Summer Camp (weekly themed summer sessions). Supporting offerings include School Programs (in-school residencies and after-school activities), Adult Classes (18+ skills and fitness), and Financial Aid. The organization also provides community services including Birthday Parties, Performances & Workshops, and outreach events like Circus in the Parks and Circus in the Libraries. These programs work together to fulfill CircEsteem's mission of uniting youth across all backgrounds and identities by fostering self-esteem and mutual respect through circus arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HomeWork & CircusWork (HWCW) Free after-school program providing homework support and circus arts training (juggling, tight wire, acrobatics, stilt walking, hula hooping, plate spinning, clowning) for youth, focused on teamwork, consent, resilience, and confidence building.
• Chicago Youth Circus (CYC) Saturday circus skills program with multiple tiers (Tots, Minis, Mighties, Advanced Unicycle, CDI) for youth ages 3-16, covering juggling, unicycle, trapeze, silks, lyra, diabolo, hula hoops, partner acrobatics, mini trampoline, and clowning.
• Performance Troupe Advanced skills and performance program for experienced youth with Club and Team tracks, including act creation, social-emotional development, performance opportunities, and a Teen Leadership Program for service learning hours.
• Circus Summer Camp Weekly themed summer day camp for children ages 6-16 running June 8 - August 21, 2026. Includes hands-on circus arts training led by professional teaching artists across aerial silks, trapeze, lyra, tightwire, gym wheel, mini trampoline, tumbling, partner acrobatics, clowning, rola bola, diabolo, stilts, and juggling, ending with weekly Show Off performances.
• School Programs In-school residencies (6-15 weeks) and after-school activities (ASAs) bringing circus arts instruction to Chicago Public Schools. Covers juggling, tumbling, clowning, and teamwork, building physical coordination and social-emotional skills for K-12 students.
• Adult Classes Classes for adults ages 18+ held at CircEsteem's Uptown Chicago headquarters. Offerings include Uptown Juggle Jam, Fitness & Yoga, Queer Circus Ensemble, Adult Unicycle Club, and Intro to Aerials - Lyra, with proceeds supporting CircEsteem's youth mission.
• Birthday Parties & Community Bookings Fully-customized circus experiences for birthday parties and special events, including large skills (tight wire, mini trampoline, gym wheel, partner acrobatics, rolling globes) and small skills (juggling, rola bola, stilts, clowning, plate spinning, feather balancing, diabolo), with optional add-on entertainers such as stilt walkers, jugglers, balloon twisters, and face painters.
• Performances & Workshops Full circus shows performed by the Advanced Performance Troupe (20 minutes to 1 hour), strolling entertainment, and 60/90/120-minute on-site or off-site workshops for corporate and community events, plus community tabling events with activity stations.
• Circus in the Parks Free outdoor circus performances in Chicago parks featuring aerial arts, acrobatics, juggling, clowning, and interactive entertainment performed by CircEsteem youth, presented as part of the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series.

Quantifiable outcome

• 750+ diverse youth served from 21 Chicago neighborhoods in 2017 alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Greater Chicago Food DepositoryminorOthersDonates healthy snacks for HomeWork & CircusWork participants during after-school sessions. Supports the organization's commitment to serving the whole child.
• Chicago Park DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircus in the Parks program presented as part of Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series. Free outdoor performances in neighborhoods across Chicago featuring youth performers.
• Avra Search PartnersminorOthersExecutive search firm led by Chartise Clark conducting leadership recruitment for Executive Director position.
• Chicago Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with 40+ CPS schools providing in-school residencies, after-school activities, and Saturday program locations. Programs serve youth across Chicago neighborhoods.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• After School Matters: Chicago-based nonprofit providing after-school and summer programs (arts, sports, STEM) to CPS teens. Direct overlap with CircEsteem on school-based delivery, Chicago geography, and youth SEL outcomes, though broader in scope.
• National Circus School (École nationale de cirque): Montreal-based premier professional circus training institution offering youth programs and recreational instruction. Comparable core product (circus arts education) at larger scale and Canada-based.
• Old Town School of Folk Music: Chicago nonprofit arts education institution offering classes, camps, and community programs. Comparable as a Chicago-anchored arts-education nonprofit with a fee-for-service plus sliding-scale business model.

Regional players

• Lookingglass Theatre Company: Chicago-based performing arts company with an established education and community engagement arm serving Chicago youth. Comparable in performing-arts education and Chicago civic footprint but distinct in discipline (theater vs. circus).

Direct peers

• SANCA (School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts): Seattle nonprofit combining youth circus classes with social circus programming in schools and youth-serving organizations. Comparable operating model, youth programming mix, and SEL framing.
• Wise Fool New Mexico: New Mexico-based nonprofit that uses circus arts as social intervention for youth. Directly comparable to CircEsteem on the "social circus" methodology, youth SEL mission, and nonprofit structure; differs primarily in geography.
• Prescott Circus Theatre: Oakland-based nonprofit circus program serving predominantly low-income and youth of color through after-school circus arts and performances. Mirrors CircEsteem's youth-development, free-after-school, urban-nonprofit model almost exactly.
• The Circus Project (Portland): Portland-based nonprofit operating youth circus programs with a stated social circus / trauma-informed framework. Closest analog to CircEsteem's methodology emphasis.
• Circus Smirkus: Vermont-based nonprofit youth circus running summer camps, performance troupes, and touring shows for kids and teens. Closest analog on the performance-troupe product line.
• New England Center for Circus Arts: Brattleboro, VT professional circus school that also runs youth recreational and after-school programs. Comparable core product (circus arts instruction) and youth program mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/circesteem
• Facebookfacebook.com/CircEsteem2001
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://circesteem.org/were-hiring
• Instagraminstagram.com/circesteem

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CircEsteem