Ethnographic Interviews
Date: 03/04/2017
Type: Expert Interview
Via Email
Participant: Jake
Expert: Mr. Jim Seitz
User Characteristics:
- Adams High School Principal
Memorable Quotes:
“The BGC is not advertised at all throughout the school. I do believe that our school counselors and social worker discuss the club with students individually.”
“I am not sure how students get to the club.”
“Our school offers a great deal of after school activities but we can always offer more. I would love to get more students involved.”
Top 3 Learnings:
- .Not many people at the school even know BGCA is an option, including staff
- There could be more efforts from the faculty to encourage students to attend BGCA
- Many teenagers are starting to partake in after school activities such as sports or clubs. This is clearly affecting the lack of teens at BGCA.
Key Insights:
- If there is increased awareness at the school, more students will go. If more students want to go, it will be easier to get a bus company to come.
- If the principal realized how hard it is for students to get there, he may help contribute to getting a school bus sent to the BGCA.
Date: 03/02/2017
Type: Expert Interview
Via Conversation
Participant: Jake, Jordan, Sarah
Expert: Mr. T
User Characteristics:
- African American Male
- Works 2 jobs, one of them being the athletic director for BGCA
- Trying to get his management degree at a community college
Memorable Quotes:
“ Kids Should be able to pay per visit because of sports commitments or clubs after school”
“ We should get flyers or advertisement saying some of the perks : free wifi, open gym, video games”
Top 3 Learnings:
- need a trial period for some kids
- open up later for some kids
- trial period will help BGCA find out what the new people would want for them to attend more
Key Insights:
- A lot of kids need a ride home later which could be a reason why they do not attend BGCA
- Advertising the perks of BGCA may help such as free wifi and tutors
- BGCA needs more people like MR. T
Date: 03/04/2017
Type: User Interview, Extreme #1
Via Phone Call
Team Participants: Jake, Jordan
User: Dolan Gilbert
User Characteristics:
- 16 years old
- White male
- St Joseph’s High school
- Parents both work past school hours
- Plays high school hockey
- Goes to hockey rink after school if no other commitments
- Does not know anyone at club in South Bend
Memorable Quotes:
“I am usually very busy with other things after school such as hockey to go to the Boys and Girls Club.”
“None of my friends go there, so I have never really had an interest in attending BGCA”
Top 3 Learnings:
- Kids that are getting older in high school are becoming busier with extra -curricular activities
- Not much awareness of the club at private schools like St Josephs
- Some kids might not find it cool enough to go to the club so they would rather join clubs or go sit at their parents work
Key Insights:
- Making the club “cooler” will bring in more students
- Increased awareness at private schools will potentially bring in more
Date: 03/04/2017
Type: User Interview, Extreme #2
Via Conversation
Team Participants: Jake, Jordan, Sarah
User: Camisa
User Characteristics:
- 16 years old
- African American
- Attends Adams High School
- Been going to club since early childhood as mother works there
Memorable Quotes:
“I just try to help out as much as possible with all the different members, especially the little kids”
“we could have more help from tutors. Maybe bring in some college students”
Top 3 Learnings:
- the teens are now becoming volunteers for the younger kids
- the older teens want more tutors with more experience
- they do not talk to their friends from high school about BGCA
Key Insights:
- more experienced tutors may bring in more students who want help with school
- it seems like the teens do not have as much to do as the younger kids which is potentially why they volunteer
Immersion (BGCA)
Date: 03/02/2017
Event: Playing basketball with all of the boys
Event Description: Had conversations with some of the guys playing, as well as playing basketball for over an hour. Conversations were mainly about what the guys love about the place and what could be better.
Key Takeaways:
The biggest takeaway I got from my visit was the only thing the guys want to do is play in the gym and mainly basketball. The gym offers a variety of different things to do which is great. One problem with the gym is that the older group of teenagers are not given enough time to play in there which makes the club less enjoyable. The other rooms offered to the teens are not as enjoyable for them. Another takeaway I got was that their gym supervisor Mr. T is someone they all look up to. It seems like he is their big brother. If more people would visit as consistently as Mr. T, then more kids may visit, and the club could be considered “cooler.”