COEUR d'ALENE — When Danette Hanson became a displaced homemaker, she faced the daunting task of returning to the workforce, as well as the opportunity to consider what she really wanted to do with her life.

"I realized I love working with my hands," she said. "I love being active. I had a brief stint of working behind a desk at a computer and it wasn't a good fit for me." 

After enrolling at North Idaho College with an eye toward career and technical education programs, Hanson's academic adviser connected her to the Center for New Directions. 

The center serves displaced homemakers like Hanson, as well as single parents and career pioneers who are training to work in a field traditionally held by the opposite gender. Its mission is to help participants find a pathway to financial stability and self-sufficiency. 

"I like to say we help with personal life stuff so they can be successful in schools," said Louisa Rogers, director of the Center for New Directions. 

The center provides services such as career assessments, resume editing and help applying for jobs, as well as scholarship assistance and homework workshops. 

Participants receive individualized case management services and referrals to community helping agencies. They can also access support groups, family events and life skills workshops. 

Last year, two interns for the Center for New Directions, Terri Simmons-Wright and Brittany Selle, launched a financial wellness program designed to address the challenges faced by single parents and displaced homemakers. 

Called Pathways to Prosperity, the 12-week program removes common barriers to participation by providing both dinner and childcare. 

Hanson said Rogers and her team provided support that helped her stay on track when she returned to college.

"They're such an amazing resource," she said. 

After completing her certificate in machining at the NIC Parker Technical Center in May, Hanson works full-time as a machinist. She said she's passionate about her job. 

"I love taking a raw piece of metal and turning it into something usable," she said. 

Hanson was one of 240 individuals who received support from the center during the 2025-26 school year, according to the center's recently published annual report. In the past three years, the center has served more than 700 people. 

But those figures don't tell the whole story. Rogers said the center's work extends beyond participants to their families and communities. According to the annual report, the center indirectly served 371 participants' children during the 2025-26 school year. 

"Education is a pathway out of poverty," Rogers said 

According to the annual report, single mothers in Idaho who graduate with an associate degree are 21% less likely to live in poverty than high school graduates and earn more than $215,000 more over their lifetime than they would have earned with only a high school education. 

Single moms in Idaho who graduate with a bachelor's degree are 50% less likely to live in poverty than high school graduates and earn more than $592,000 more over their lifetime than they would have with only a high school education. 

When single moms earn two-year or four-year degrees, they receive less public assistance and contribute tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars more in lifetime taxes than single moms with only high school diplomas. 

Rogers said those served by the center often begin with doubts. Many are first-generation college students who aren't sure they're smart enough to earn a degree or complete a program. They lack belief in themselves. 

That was true for Hanson. 

"When I started in school, I just had no confidence in myself," she said. "My world had turned upside down." 

But Rogers said she watches participants transform during the course of a school year. They grow in confidence and see the impact of their hard work and perseverance. 

"These are real people making real changes," she said. 

Hanson said she experienced that transformation herself. 

"It made me dig deeper and believe I could do hard things," she said. 

She said it was also meaningful to meet people who were walking a similar path. 

"It has given me a sense of community," she said. "I'm not the only one going through this." 

Rogers said fostering connections between single parents and displaced homemakers is another aspect of the Center for New Directions. Many participants are isolated at first but go on to form friendships and provide mutual support. 

"I think the beauty of the Center for New Directions is the community aspect," she said.