Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Aug 31/01) - In the course of a few months Chris Powell has gone from teaching adults in Fort Providence to managing adult education needs for much of the southern NWT.

Based in Fort Simpson, Powell has taken over Aurora College's community programs co-ordinator position, a job formerly held by Karen Carleton. He's quickly getting up to speed on what's available and what's wanted in the Deh Cho communities, as well as Fort Resolution and Hay River.

His first priority is to hire a full-time adult educator for Fort Liard, and that process is already underway, he said.

He also hopes to entrust many of the responsibilities in the larger communities to the established adult educators, allowing him to concentrate on the smaller communities. Powell plans to visit places like Jean Marie River, Trout Lake, Nahanni Butte and Wrigley to find out what local people desire. Then he will attempt to fulfil that through an instructor on contract, similar to Nahanni Butte's six-week career preparation program last winter.

"And that's one of the things I'm really looking forward to in this position is the travel, getting to see all the communities in the Deh Cho and South Slave," he said.

Powell, who first came to the North in 1993, is a graduate of the University of Toronto's faculty of education. He has his master's degree in history from Memorial University in Newfoundland, and wrote his thesis on the history of the Union of Northern Workers.

He has taught in Aklavik and Kugluktuk in addition to Fort Providence, where his contract was extended twice.

"I really enjoy teaching adults, and Providence was a really good place to be -- really good people with a real enthusiasm for learning," he said, adding that he and fellow adult educator Margaret Field complemented each other well.

Powell, whose interests include film, theatre, cultural arts and, of course, history, is attending an adult literacy conference at Aurora College's Thebacha campus this week. He said it would provide him with a chance to renew acquaintances with other staff members, continue his job orientation and prepare for the finance and administrative duties that accompany his new position.