The Circle of Courage is a model of youth development based on the principles of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity.
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 (RAP) curriculum which provides training on applying the Circle of Courage to all who work with youth.
[2] The Circle of Courage provides the philosophical foundation for the work of Reclaiming Youth International (RYI), a 501(c)(3) 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.