Organizations as social capital : a single case study on how the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee build social capital for youth.

Due to inequitable educational structures and systems in the United States, the youth who need the most support have fewer resources and perform worse academically than those with less need. There is unequal access to resources and funding in the United States (Darling-Hammond, 2019; Morgan & Amerikaner, 2018; Ushomirsky & Williams, 2015). Even though resources matter, students who attend schools with fewer resources underachieve compared to those with more (Baker, 2017; Baker et al., 2018; Roy, 2011). Where schools fall short of resources and funding, community organizations step in. I explored adult views and perceptions about their experiences as youth regarding resources at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Through the lens of the social capital theory, I conducted a single, exploratory, qualitative case study. I recruited interested people from survey results and then intentionally selected participants to foster variation (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Participants were adults who regularly attended the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee when they were K–12 students in the Milwaukee Public School District. I collected data through interviews and a focus group. I formed initial interview questions before the study started, then formed focus group questions based on the interview responses. The findings of this study fell into three categories: access, community, and life applications. Under the access category, I found that scholarships, employment opportunities, field trips, travel, and food were all formative aspects of developing participant’s social capital. Under the community category, I found that strong professional relationships gave participants a sense of belonging, and participants learned how to socialize and network through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Finally, under the life applications category, I found that participants used the knowledge, skills, and connections they acquired at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Recommendations of this study suggest that the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Greater Milwaukee should intentionally focus on building relationships with members and increase the number of field trips and travel opportunities for its members. The implications of this study will impact future generations of Boys & Girls Clubs members.