The NAEA employed field workers in rural communities as early as the 1930s to improve economic outcomes through adult education.
[1] At the prompting of then-premier Joey Smallwood MUN Extension Service was established in 1959 with S. John Colman as director and Edna Baird as staffperson.
While influenced by the land grant colleges of the United States and the educational outreach of Oxford University, Colman recognized the need to tailor MUN's program to local circumstances.
One adaptation was the placement of development specialists in rural areas of Newfoundland and Labrador in order to build relationships with local residents.
Access to federal funding enabled Snowden to recruit a "creative and dedicated group" who became both activists and community organizers in the field.