NIC receives grant to help students with children succeed
NIC Diesel Technology alumna Melanie Andrews poses with her children during a graduation photo shoot organized by the college’s Center for New Directions in May 2022 at Sunspot at Yap-Keehn-Um Beach near NIC’s campus in Coeur d’Alene.
Photo by ELLI OBA/North Idaho College
The Center for New Directions at North Idaho College was recently awarded a $4,700 grant from the Idaho Resilience Project, specifically to assist current and future parenting students overcome social and economic barriers and remain on the path to completing their education at NIC.
NIC's Center for New Directions assists single parents and displaced homemakers with community resources and exploration of career and educational paths. The center also delivers retention and completion support programs to students and future students enrolled in career technical education programs.
The Boise-based Idaho Resilience Project is focused on building regional collaboratives to help youth and families overcome trauma, economic uncertainty and systemic issues, and to discover access to services.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant,” said Louisa Rogers, student success navigator. “Parenting students face unique challenges when attending school, and this award will allow the CND to support these students by cultivating community and resilience amongst these families.”
The grant award will support a wide array of activities. Two of the most impactful projects this award will fund are the development of the Circle of Parents and Families Initiative on the NIC campus. This initiative includes weekly support groups for parenting students and monthly family gatherings, including a family photo shoot on the shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene.
NIC student Teri White, a single mom of six, has been involved with the CND since she began at NIC in Fall 2022.
“I feel like I am part of something special. … The CND shows us that we, as parents, aren’t alone and we are able to encourage each other and learn realistic strategies for parenting as college students,” White said.
Other funded projects include the purchase of freezers and family-size frozen meals to enhance the availability of food items to parenting students experiencing food insecurity.
“Being able to offer someone a Costco-size frozen lasagna to take home for dinner for their kids will take a huge stressor off their shoulders,” Rogers said. “… How can we expect a student to be successful in school if they are behind in bills, or struggling to find child care for their kids, or going through something difficult in their personal life?”
Rogers publishes a weekly email update called CND Weekly Wins that highlights students receiving direct assistance with everyday issues. A recent newsletter highlighted a student getting assistance with a utility bill, two families receiving groceries and a teen mom considering attending NIC getting clothes for her newborn.
“Having even just a small amount of support can change the trajectory of someone’s future,” Rogers said.
Information: nic.edu/cnd or contact Louisa Rogers at 208-769-3447 or Louisa.Rogers@nic.edu.