Cal Petersen interviewed Eric Petersen, President of the Waterloo, Iowa Boys and Girls Club from 2000-2005
Date: 3/5/17
Type: Phone interview
Team participants: conducted interview alone
User Characteristics: “influential expert”
President of Boys and Girls Club from 2000-2005
Ma
le, age 56
What this person is about:
-Driven to make a difference in the community and give back to the city he is from and currently lives in
What is this person’s biggest point of pain?
-trying to do his best to help every kid possible, seeing kids in troubling situations
Memorable quote from interview: “unless you live down there, a parent
isn’t going to go out of their way to go downtown and bring their child there”
Top 3 Learnings:
- Both parents and the kids choose the Boys and Girls Club to enhance personal well-being for themselves or their children
- Having friends there is important to the kids, attendance goes up
or down in multitudes - incorporating a meal for the attendees at the Boys and Girls Club enhanced attendance across all ages
Key Insight: 1. Roughly same number of teens attend the club regardless of location in the US, difference is how do you enhance the experience for those there. 2. Waterloo club charged $5 a year and provided transportation from grade school-high school to the club and provided a meal, also was open until 9 pm M-F and till 6 pm on Satur
ay. 3. Teenagers want “monitors” and not authority when they go to the club