Youth Scholarships

Many of the youth who need SANCA the most cannot afford to pay, and receive tuition assistance to attend classes. No student will be turned away due to lack of funds. Twenty percent of SANCA’s students receive tuition assistance. In 2015, SANCA gave $155,789 in aid to 594 students. In the past 12 years, 3,268 students have received $862,645 in tuition support.

Eloise H. Mathews believed in people following their dreams. Each of her seven children have had different hobbies and goals and she supported each of them in all they chose to do. Three of her children have been heavily involved in the circus community and specifically SANCA. Her daughter Crystal is the founding director of SANCA’s Cirrus Circus (formerly the Youth Performance Company).  Her son Steven was a member of the original Youth Performance Company. He began his circus training when he was 5 years old. He stayed in the performance company until he graduated in 2015. Daughter Katie has been a backstage volunteer at many of her siblings’ shows, and started working at SANCA as a facilities assistant in 2016. Throughout all of her children’s circus careers, beginning 19 years ago, Eloise supported and cheered them on. She attended every performance and many practices. She was a dedicated and tireless volunteer for the Youth Company shows, and even produced two circus benefit shows, which were in actuality SANCA’s first two performances, giving some well-known circus performers their first professional performance gigs. Eloise believed that people could accomplish anything if they tried hard enough and she showed that through her constant support of the circus community in Seattle.

The Eloise H Mathews Youth Performance Scholarship Fund makes it possible for youth to participate in SANCA’s youth performance programs regardless of ability to pay, and is dedicated to her memory.

Social Circus - Every Body's Circus

Every Body’s Circus offers therapeutic circus classes and specialized instruction for youth with trauma- or mood-related disorders, and disabilities ranging from Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism, to cerebral palsy, hemiparesis, spina bifida, blindness, and deafness. In 2013 SANCA began running summer camps and ongoing classes for youth with hemiparesis. In 2015 SANCA added summer camps for youth with autism.

Social Circus Outreach

SANCA’s outreach program partners on a sliding-scale/pro-bono basis with schools and organizations that work with youth who are marginalized, underserved, homeless or otherwise at-risk. This program works to empower youth, promote trust and cooperation, and encourage a fit and healthy lifestyle. Students and teachers report increased confidence, health, and physical ability; and improved academics and interpersonal relationships.

Youth Performance Program

SANCA’s youth performance program is an immersive, multi-year program that gives youth ages 5 to 18 a unique arts experience and a progressive track to develop performance skills based on traditional and modern circus arts. They create and perform original acts at major festivals in Seattle, and they produce their own show each year.