The Country Women's Association (CWA) is a nationwide Australian group that started in the 1920s in response to isolated women's need to socialize. The group's activities have expanded greatly over time. It distributes essential food and clothing to needy rural families, and its extensive involvement in incidental education for women includes…

Canadians identify education as key to economic opportunity and advancement, yet rural areas experience teacher shortages, school closings, and extended transportation times. A growing native population in the North needs teachers with cultural and linguistic qualifications. Advantages of rural areas are close communities, good school-community…

Newfoundland and Labrador has many rural communities, low literacy rates, high unemployment, declining enrollment and population, and teacher shortages. Policy responses have been to consolidate schools, increase rural teacher pay, increase teacher recruitment, implement distance learning and distance professional development, intensify…

Barriers to health care careers for rural Western Australian students were examined through interviews with 209 students from 15 secondary schools, 62 parents and grandparents, 76 teachers, and 4 Aboriginal and Islander education officers. Students were constrained by isolation, cost, stereotypes, insufficient information about the diversity of…

A distance education program in mental health was delivered to 31 rural health professionals in Western Australia who dealt with mentally ill patients at the primary level. Evaluation on completion and 4 months postprogram indicated that participants learned mental health management regimes, developed mental health assessment skills, improved…

A preservice teacher describes her practicum at a rural Aboriginal school in Queensland (Australia). Part of an English-as-second-language research project, the school used local Aboriginal English, which draws on three traditional languages, to build self esteem and acknowledge the indigenous culture. Standard Australian English was then further…

Describes four exemplary rural youth programs that succeed despite the common lack of transportation and leadership in rural areas. An Alabama church-based program, a Nevada program on an American Indian reservation, and a school-based network in Vermont all offer summer and after-school programs for elementary and secondary students. Texas…

As part of a study examining continuing medical education, computer usage was investigated among medical practitioners in rural and remote Queensland (Australia). Surveys of 131 rural doctors showed that they used computers more than their urban counterparts and more than previously estimated. A majority of respondents considered Internet delivery…

Describes an online college course and student perceptions of the virtual-classroom experience. Students appreciated course flexibility and convenience and found it conducive to thoughtful analysis of class questions and commentary. However, they felt isolated from peers and instructor, and lack of face-to-face interaction hindered communication.…

Relates experiences in providing on-site Internet workshops to the newly networked Native-Alaskan village of Galena. Discusses a handbook of K-12 Internet resources, the collaborative relationship at the core of Internet innovations, creating an online course on brokering Internet learning resources, and the three biggest advantages the Internet…

To address the shortage of qualified early interventionists for young rural children with disabilities, the University of Alaska Fairbanks developed a Master's program that used distance education at remote practicum sites during fall and spring and on-campus instruction during the summer. The program has fostered university-rural community…

Information technology offers advantages to small rural schools: access to courses not locally available, opportunities for collaborative work with other schools, and access to professional development courses. Federal money can help disadvantaged rural schools afford the technology, but the teacher must integrate good practices with technology to…

Gifted elementary students from four rural school districts in northwest Wisconsin meet weekly in combined classes for instruction. Nontraditional methods are used to identify participants, local artists teach the sessions, expenses and expertise are shared by the districts, and students can interact with like-minded peers from other districts.…

While many efforts to reform high schools target large cities, a similar minority located at the fringes of American culture has been relatively overlooked. Low-income, rural students suffer many of the same social maladies--such as severe poverty and widespread drug abuse--as urban minority children, and they are comparably disadvantaged when it…

Since 1978, Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada) has offered preservice and inservice teacher education courses to seven isolated Native communities in Labrador. The courses may lead to a 2-year degree with teacher certification or to a 5-year baccalaureate degree. Students are usually Native teachers and teacher aides in community…