Date of Conferral
1-27-2025
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Public Policy and Administration
Advisor
Gregory Campbell
Abstract
Although the mayor of Milwaukee and other stakeholders launched and committed resources to the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) program, it was unclear whether the program was meeting its goal of increasing graduation rates and college readiness of young Black males in Milwaukee. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore administrators’ perspectives on whether the current funding resources of the MBK program in Milwaukee were adequate to ensure the program’s ability to meet its goal of increasing graduation rates and college readiness of its participants. Resource dependence theory and the teleological process theory guided the study. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected from semi-structured interviews with 11 participants. Findings indicated that the funding model needed to be adjusted to make the desired impact. The funding model created a culture of competition among organizations that are often doing similar work, and more collaboration is needed not only from the service delivery organizations but also from the funding entities. Organizations that allow the needs of the community to drive their programming and are not resource dependent tend to make a larger and more lasting impact on their communities, especially with young Black males. The implication for positive social change is if these programs are adequately funded, and the needs of the community are what drive change in the programming, the goal of improving outcomes in young Black males in Milwaukee may be achievable.
Recommended Citation
Hayward, Courtney Santanna, "A Qualitative Exploration of the Milwaukee Chapter of My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge Program" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 16935.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/16935
