Sacramento State has launched a new online initiative aimed at helping students and community members connect with resources both on campus and throughout the Sacramento region. The project, called Belonging Maps, was developed by the university’s Geography Department and Office of Inclusive Excellence.
The interactive maps are designed to help students find campus spaces, organizations, services, as well as local businesses and cultural centers that reflect Sacramento’s diverse communities. The platform incorporates photos, videos, and graphics to make the experience engaging for users.
“Ultimately, it’s about belonging,” said Michael Nguyen, Vice President of Inclusive Excellence. “We want students to feel seen, supported, and connected to Sac State. This is the tool that will help our students navigate their time here and give them a much better experience.”
The idea began when Geography professor Hanieh Molana discussed with students the need for resources that meet their religious needs. “The number of Muslim students on campus is growing,” Molana said. “We talked about how cool it would be to have something that showed what resources we have for them, a map of campus where they could find halal food, where they could go for prayer, and what student organizations we have.
“It’s crazy how many resources we have, but students don’t know about them.”
With support from the Office of Inclusive Excellence, Molana and student intern Ian Michael Brown started collecting data for an initial map focused on Muslim student resources. The project soon expanded to include other communities.
Hispanic Serving Institution Director Lilia Contreras Ramirez worked with Molana on a similar map for Latine students. The first Belonging Map titled “Somos” was released earlier in the fall semester; another called “Ummah” followed in November.
“Students felt like there was not enough awareness of the resources, or they didn’t know some of the resources existed until they were ready to graduate,” Ramirez said. “A lot of the resources are in different divisions or different departments.
“We thought it would be amazing if we had a one stop shop.”
Ramirez emphasized that many students seek connections beyond just their academic lives: “Students don’t just come to Sac State, they come to the Sacramento region. There are resources and services that they need outside of their student identity. They need to build a home and a community in Sacramento.”
Each map features not only campus-based information but also highlights regional businesses, religious sites, community centers, organizations and more within Sacramento.
Maps tailored for additional communities are planned as well; “Ubuntu,” focused on Black community resources, is scheduled for a soft launch in February.
“The goal is to make sure students know when they come to Sac State they are supported,” Molana said. “Regardless of whether they come from Sacramento or L.A., we’ve got their backs. We have resources on campus and off campus for them.
“They can take a look at this map and find out where the closest mosque, or church, or panaderia (bakery), or halal market is without wandering the city.”
In gathering information for these maps—including murals along Franklin and Stockton boulevards—Ramirez noted how public art connects deeply with local history: “As we were collecting information…we realized that a lot of the businesses have these beautiful murals on their walls,” she said. These murals often reference Chicano movement artists such as those from Royal Chicano Air Force.
The resource maps also account for various identities including parents or multiracial individuals by listing schools offering bilingual education options alongside practical services like food banks or shelters.
Brown explained how Belonging Maps differ from standard mapping tools: “It’s really highlighting information that isn’t necessarily something that can be put into a number…This project took different groups that inhabit the Sacramento area and highlighted resources in a way that Google maps wouldn’t be able to do.”
“It gave me real job experience but also allowed me to do something that makes a difference.”
To ensure accessibility for all users—including non-students—the team prioritized simplicity in design: “We wanted it to be simple and easy to use; we want community members to use this as well,” Molana added.
Nguyen hopes eventually every California State University campus will adopt similar maps: “The goal is to create this for every single CSU campus so it becomes a system-wide and statewide resource,” he said.
Belonging Maps continue evolving; members of the public can suggest additions through an online form subject to verification before inclusion on future updates—and there may even be an app developed later.
“I felt like this was missing not only in the Muslim community but for our students as well,” said Molana.“…When you think about it supporting the community itself should be part of any scholarship especially for a public university.”
“Our students are everything to us.”
