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Final Paper: Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Juan Fiscal

Undergrad Student, Arizona State University

PAF 112: Identity, Service, and American Democracy

December 9th, 2020

Identity, social capital, engagement, mobilization, and American democracy are some of

the key components learned throughout the course, these themes are very important in

identifying and analyzing organizations and how/why they operate. The Boys & Girls Clubs of

America is a national organization that provides voluntary after school programs for young

people. According to the Boys & Girls Clubs website, “The Boys & Girls Clubs of America had

its beginnings in 1860 with three women in Hartford, Connecticut - Mary Goodwin, Alice

Goodwin and Elizabeth Hammersley. Believing that boys who roamed the streets should have a

positive alternative, they organized the first Club. With character development as the cornerstone

of the experience, the Club focused on capturing boys interests, improving their behavior and

increasing their personal expectations and goals. A cause was born.” (Boys & Girls Clubs of

America, 2020) ​The organization is a non-profit that is headquartered in ​Atlanta​, Georgia, with

other offices in ​Chicago​, ​Dallas​, ​Atlanta​, ​New York City​ and ​Los Angeles​.​ ​Boys & Girls Clubs

of America is tax-exempt and partially funded by the ​federal government​. (Wikimedia

Foundation, 9 Aug. 2018)

According to the course material in module 4, “Identity is a shared characteristic that can

cause people to form a group, such as race, gender, class, religion and sexuality. Shared beliefs

or shared experiences can also lead to a sense of identity.”(Arizona State University, nd) The

identity of The Boys & Girls Clubs of America is rooted through all of the identities listed in the

definition of identity. Membership in this group influences relationships with other groups

because they accept all types of kids and all types of volunteers who are trying to make a

difference in adolescent lives. It does not matter what race, gender, class, or religion you are a

part of, the Boys & Girls Clubs accept you just as you are. There is definitely a shared identity

with what I am looking to pursue and what identity the Boys & Girls Clubs identify with. The
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main choice of researching this organization was influenced by the great work and reputation the

Boys & Girls Clubs has received over the years gaining government funding, major

sponsorships, such as Major League Baseball, and big name celebrity spokesman and donators.

The first module of the course says the definition of “social capital is the connection or

relationship with others and the willingness to interact with and aid others.”(Arizona State

University, nd) The membership and main goal of the group is to find people who really care

about the youth in their communities. The group is filled with members who share the same goal

and vision stated on the Boys & Girls Clubs of America website, “Our vision is to provide a

world-class Club Experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who

enters our doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the

future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle.” “The

mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full

potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” (Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 2020)

There are economic and political dimensions to the organizations, due to the fact that they are

partially funded by the United States Government, as well as sponsored and represented by

major donors. Being the official charity of Major League Baseball, it catches the attention from

all of the millions of baseball fans throughout the world. It opens up new identities that share a

common interest with Major League Baseball. Likewise, with Denzel Washington, who has been

a former member and a spokesperson for decades now, fans of Denzel become interested in the

Boys & Girls Clubs of America. (Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Aug. 2018)

The engagement with this organization starts with civic engagement, which according to

the lesson in module 1 is “when people work as individuals or in groups to solve public

problems. This often starts with becoming aware of a problem and then later involves taking
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action, either through political engagement or social engagement.” (Arizona State University, nd)

People in communities see children at risk, they take a stand and decide to eventually make a

difference and volunteer at organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, this is

taking action later in social engagement. “Social engagement is when people take action about a

public problem through social service means such as, but not limited to, the following types of

activities: encouraging others to participate or enjoy the arts, volunteering for a nonprofit

organization, organizing drives to provide goods or services to those in need”, as the lesson in

module 1 states.(Arizona State University, nd) People volunteer at non profits like Boys & Girls

Clubs by helping with fundraisers, holiday food/toy drives, and many more hands on social

service engagements.

The definition of mobilization according to module 1 of the lesson is “when people are

inspired to take action collectively on a particular public problem.” (Arizona State University,

nd) The organization mobilizes its members by spreading the same commitment to inclusion,

making sure everyone is on the same page with the same message in mind, the belief that every

kid has what it takes. The website’s commitment states “the mission and core beliefs of Boys &

Girls Clubs fuel our commitment to promoting safe, positive and inclusive environments for all.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America supports all youth and teens – of every race, ethnicity, gender,

gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic status, and religion – in reaching

their full potential.”(Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 2020) There are many members

nationwide, hence the multiple headquarters around the country. The members come together to

make a difference by sharing the same goal. The Boys & Girls Clubs share similar interests as

some of the organizations we studied throughout the course, such as the Disabled American

Veterans and the Jewish Family and Children’s Services. The similarity between all three is that
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there is a problem at hand and something was done to address that problem, creating an

organization. The difference between the JFCS and the Boys & Girls clubs is the JFCS is mostly

aimed toward Jewish families and children, The Boys & Girls Clubs are aimed for any child, no

matter the race or religion. (Arizona State University, nd)

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America is exactly what American Democracy is about, it

checks the boxes of everything you would want out of an organization. It has federal and private

funding, structured very well, chapters in multiple cities, and makes an impactful difference in

the youth of America. The level of society this belongs to is the symbolic level, “this level of

culture includes our values and beliefs. It can be abstract, but it is most often the key to how

individuals define themselves. It includes value systems, customs, spirituality, religion,

worldview, beliefs, mores, etc”, stated by the lesson plan in module 1. (Arizona State University,

nd)

Nonprofit organizations are the backbone of our civil society and central to the way we

shape our culture, help those in need, and advance our knowledge​. (​Arizona State University, nd​) 

Nonprofit organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America are very important, not only

do they send a good message but they gather people in the community who want to make a

difference in the future of the youth in America.

Works Cited

● “Our Mission & Story.” Boys & Girls Clubs of America -

Providing Millions of Kids and Teens a Safe Place to Develop Essential

Skills, Make Lasting Connections and Have Fun., 2020,

www.bgca.org/about-us/our-mission-story.

● “About Us.” ​Boys & Girls Clubs of America - Providing Millions of Kids and

Teens a Safe Place to Develop Essential Skills, Make Lasting Connections and

Have Fun.,​ 2020, www.bgca.org/about-us.

● “Boys.” ​Wikipedia,​ Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Aug. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_.

● Arizona State University, nd. Module 1-7: identity and mobilization.

https://courses.ea.asu.edu/courses/course-v1:ASU+PAF112+2207B/course/
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