Circle of Courage


The Circle of Courage is a model of youth development based on the principles of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. The model integrates child development practices of tribal peoples and the findings of modern youth development research.

History

The Circle of Courage model portrays four growth needs of all children: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. This philosophy emerged from collaboration of Martin Brokenleg, a professor of Native American Studies, and Larry Brendtro, a professor in children's behavior disorders. They studied how traditional indigenous cultures reared children without resorting to coercive discipline. The Circle of Courage is illustrated as a medicine wheel with four directions.
In 1990, the Circle of Courage was outlined in the Solution Tree publication, Reclaiming Youth at Risk, by Larry Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, and Steve Van Bockern who were then colleagues at Augustana College.
The model was adopted to youth services in South Africa during the administration of Nelson Mandela under the leadership of Minister Geraldine Moloketi and Lesley du Toit. This led in 2005 to the Response Ability Pathways curriculum which provides training on applying the Circle of Courage to all who work with youth.
The Circle of Courage provides the philosophical foundation for the work of Reclaiming Youth International, a 501 non-profit company dedicated to helping adults better serve children and youth who are in emotional pain from conflict in the family, school, community, peer groups or with self.

Annotated bibliography: Related publications