Lehigh Carbon Community College’s new equity center has received a $7,500 grant from the PPL Foundation. Funds will support the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Center that is set to open in the fall 2023 semester.

Located in the Academic Resource Center on the college’s main campus in Schnecksville, the J.E.D.I. Center will host events and activities to support dialogue about social justice, celebrate diversity, provide space and voice for traditionally underrepresented groups and promote a collegewide culture embodying diversity, equity and inclusion.

The newly renovated area, situated between the college bookstore and the cafeteria, includes spaces for activities, workshops, offices, a lounge and small meetings.

To promote student involvement, the J.E.D.I. Center will hold weekly activities built on monthly themes highlighting the cultures, histories and experiences of marginalized groups.

Weekly events will include speakers, workshops, community-building activities, lunch-and-learns and opportunities for reflection.

Students who complete the full calendar of activities will earn a J.E.D.I. certificate that denotes their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and their leadership in the quest for social justice.

“We are grateful for the generosity of the PPL Foundation for helping to ensure that this new center at LCCC can provide programming for our students,” said Dr. Ann D. Bieber, LCCC president. “Our student body is richly diverse, and we want to celebrate and reinforce that with a broad perspective on racial and social justice.”

For additional information on the J.E.D.I. Center, contact Mitza Morales, LCCC director of student engagement and inclusion, at mmorales24@lccc.edu.