Policymakers and influencers from across the political spectrum spend a great deal of time thinking, talking and writing about how to close the wealth, opportunity and other gaps that are both markers and drivers of growing income inequality. But there is another gap they would do well to pay special attention to if they are truly interested in reducing inequality and bringing about greater economic and social mobility, involving social capital as a key aspect of an education that sets students up to thrive in their future careers.

It’s the social capital gap — the yawning differences between rich and poor in access to the relationships, networks and institutions that are key to successfully navigating through life. Indeed, a landmark 2022 research study led by the Harvard economist Raj Chetty demonstrated that a form of social capital — what he called “economic connectedness” — is the single strongest predictor of a child’s ability to rise out of poverty.

My 35 years of experience as CEO of a nonprofit education organization working with schools across New York City, most serving students from high-poverty neighborhoods, underscored just how profound is the social capital gap they face and how significant a barrier it poses to their success.

I will never forget, for example, how a bright and capable young woman — the valedictorian of her Bronx high school — could not find her way to Manhattan by subway to meet with me about a scholarship to a summer preparatory program at an Ivy League college. After several attempts, I eventually had to go get her. When I did, I learned that her travel difficulties stemmed from the fact that she had never been to Manhattan. She had almost never even ventured out of her immediate neighborhood. Nor had she ever been to a restaurant, like the one where we met, that required placing orders with a waiter.

What makes this story noteworthy is that it is hardly unique, demonstrating the importance of social capital as key to education. This student is one of millions of young people who live in social capital deserts, where opportunities to engage with the wider world are extremely limited. This stands in sharp contrast to the experience of wealthier students, whose circumstances give them a deep reservoir of social capital to draw from and provide significant advantages.

Read the full article about social capital as a key part of education by Richard Stopol at The 74.