July 1, 2025 East Bay Express
Oakland kids clown around for success
Prescott Circus Theatre’s 40 years of empowering East Bay youth
By Janis Hashe

GLOBAL IMPACT The Prescott Circus Theatre program builds confidence, teaches teamwork and helps children recognize their unique talents. (Photo by Tom Holub)

“Forty years ago, Aileen Moffitt taught at Prescott Elementary in Oakland. Moffitt, an Oakland native, was white, teaching in a predominantly Black school. Her background also included juggling and clowning and, mentored by African American teachers, she created a program first known as “Prescott Clowns” and today known as the Prescott Circus Theatre (PCT).

The PCT program succeeded because from the beginning it was sensitive to and respectful of the students it serves, said Executive/Artistic Director David Hunt. “It was always a grassroots approach, and caught the attention of people and organizations, such as the East Bay Community Foundation, who care about the wellbeing of children,” he said.”

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