Inclusion Center at South Central College North Mankato

The Inclusion Center at South Central College North Mankato was bustling with activity when LeadMN came to visit on a Tuesday afternoon. Several students were gathered around the long table in the center of the room – some were telling jokes, others were working on a puzzle, and some were on their phones. The vibrant artwork on the walls and large bean bag chairs covered with crocheted blankets are an echo of the Inclusion Center’s energy – inviting, homey, and comfortable. 

It’s a place with a pulse, and at the heart of the Inclusion Center is its coordinator, Dr. Yolanda Lewis, who has been managing the North Mankato space since 2022. She’s behind the events and programs offered by the Inclusion Center, and the regular loaves of freshly baked sourdough resting in the center of the table.

“My role is to help students succeed,” she said. “I tell them, don’t apologize for being who you are. If you’re overwhelmed, sad, stressed, we want you here and we want you to be healthy and happy.” 

The Inclusion Center welcomes everyone. It’s a place where people from all different backgrounds and cultures can come and learn from each other, where they can show up and be themselves and be enough. 

“[Dr. Lewis] does a good job of gently, but firmly reminding us that inclusion is for everyone. And it goes a long way,” Rose Sargent, a student at North Mankato said. 

This mission is reflected in the events and programming the Inclusion Center provides like the annual intercultural storytelling potluck, vision boarding events, and movie showings. The Inclusion Center received a grant to support their campus cupboard program, which provides free and culturally appropriate foods to students in need. 

Dr. Lewis has been working with other campus services like math support, TRIO, and disability services to help showcase the services available to students on their campus. She is also hoping to expand services and programming by coordinating with community partners to support students in development and career services, Ramadan celebrations, and Native programming. To Dr. Lewis inclusiveness isn’t just about equity and access, it’s about collaboration and involvement. 

The Inclusion Center offers so many options for students to get involved and build connections by meeting students where they are at and offering support through acts of care. Dr. Lewis makes ‘stress pancakes’ for students (that’s what they call them), brings in homemade meals, and provides resources. The Inclusion Center is more than a place or programming, it’s a feeling, Dr. Lewis said. 

“It’s understanding the role of belonging in spaces. I know what belonging feels like, and it’s a feeling.” 

While we were talking with Dr. Lewis, students wandered in greeted with a welcome and ‘there’s pizza!’ while other students lounged around on their phones or worked on assignments. One student was even napping in one of the beanbags during a presentation, chatter and conversation happening all around, but feeling safe enough to find a moment of rest. And that’s the point, according to Dr. Lewis, it’s the feeling of being in a space where students can feel free. 

“We’re a family here. We cook for each other. We encourage each other to be leaders, mentors,” Dr. Lewis said. 

For the students in the Inclusion Center, the safety the center provides for those who need a soft landing, support, and encouragement is critical to their academic and personal success. Inclusion can’t be an afterthought, and neither can the Inclusion Center, Dr. Lewis said. It requires attention, compassion, forgiveness, and challenges. It requires funding and staff who embody acceptance, accountability, and passion. 

“You have to make sure that your motives are pure and you understand what inclusion really means,” Dr. Lewis said. “There’s a reciprocal role in this space. We’re in this together.”