UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As a cornerstone of diversity and inclusion at Penn State since 1972, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center (PRCC) knows the value and impact of creating a strong sense of community for all students.
“Creating a space for students to feel comfortable being themselves allows them to thrive," said Evan Williams, director of the PRCC. "Our goal in the PRCC is to find ways to mentor and support all students while providing clear pathways to succeed while actively contributing to their broader community."
Connecting students with their communities while providing administrative support is a key goal of four new community coordinator staff members in the PRCC. These coordinator positions, supported by the University Park Student Initiated Fee, were created to support students in the Black, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander Desi American, and Native American and Indigenous communities.
Coordinators will serve as mentors and provide support for community caucuses, leaders, and students at-large. These coordinators will help create consistency for student leaders, advocate for each community, and relieve some of the administrative burdens that these communities have encountered to help students focus on building relationships, enhance programming, and ultimately foster the personal and academic success of those communities’ members they support.
Jacinta Garcia, the incoming coordinator for Native, Indigenous and First Nation communities, said she hopes her experience organizing cultural events and speakers and incorporating indigenous knowledge into a larger community will make an immediate impact.
“These community coordinator roles are here to partner with students in celebrating their cultures, being seen, and proudly sharing who they are with Penn State to create a more inclusive environment for all,” Garcia said.
Within the PRCC, the BLUEprint mentor program works to connect students with peers to help navigate Penn State. Established in 2012, BLUEprint has quickly grown to be a foundational support for students looking for guidance.
Ibn Dinkins, assistant director, joined the PRCC and will work closely with the program coordinator to continue to grow the impact of BLUEprint. Dinkins brings over a decade of student mentorship to his role and will help guide the BLUEprint mentoring team while streamline programming to support and reach students more effectively.
“My ultimate goal is to foster community here within and between all of our marginalized and minoritized groups. I know they all have their own pockets when they first arrive, which is normal. It’s easy to get stuck in that silo. While it’s great to find family within your own culture, my goal is to bring everyone together to better support each other and grow that collective family and community,” said Dinkins.
Dinkins noted that they’re actively benchmarking and working on strengthening the BLUEprint curriculum to provide students with more extensive and context relevant plans and guidelines for both mentors and mentees, striving to enhance student success, belonging, and community.
Students interested in being a mentor or participating as a mentee can learn more online at the BLUEprint website.