Counselors in rural areas face unique challenges in striving to practice ethically and meet the needs of clients and communities. These challenges lead rural counselors to examine and question their daily practice and lives in an attempt to balance ethical codes with the realities of rural life. Describes these challenges and suggestions to…

This paper provides background information on the nature of rural communities and examines factors that influence educational services for students with visual impairments in these communities. Characteristics that are most often mentioned in defining rural areas are lack of public transportation, distance from a metropolitan area, size of nearest…

A clinical experience program provided 29 rural Australian allied health professionals with experience in pediatric clinical areas and opportunities to share clinical knowledge and develop networks with metropolitan peers. Questionnaires and focus groups indicated that networking, clinical skills, knowledge, confidence, and awareness of rural…

This paper examines the status of postgraduate family medicine training in rural settings in Canada and identifies problems and how they are addressed. Specifically, a survey of 18 university programs examined the portion of family medicine block training that is done in a rural practice setting within the 2-year postgraduate family medicine…

It is not uncommon for beginning teachers in Queensland (Australia) to be assigned their first teaching placement in a rural area. Many of these teachers stay there for the minimum time that they must, then seek to relocate to a coastal city. The literature and interviews with beginning rural teachers suggest that those who view the experience…

A 1987 meeting in Fuji that examined the supply, training, and professional support of educational personnel in multi-island situations led to development of a directory of innovative practices relevant to any situation of isolation. Questionnaires were sent to a sample of countries in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and South Pacific. Findings are…

An Australian study explored the implications of being a rural academic; distinguishing features of rural academics' work; perceptions of rural academics held by themselves and others; and contributions rural academics make to their institutions, disciplines, and communities. Interviews were conducted with 24 faculty members from 2 Australian…

Two portfolio projects were initiated at Montana State University to address the need for increasing teacher development opportunities in rural areas. Projects involved the use of portfolios to document and reflect on the teaching experiences of preservice special educators and general educators working towards special education certification.…

This newsletter theme issue focuses on providing services to infants with special needs in rural areas. In "Old Threads, New Patterns: Reaching Out to Rural Families," Deborah Harris-Usner discusses bringing infant mental health care and parent-infant psychotherapy to rural New Mexico. In "The People of Kids Place: Creating and Maintaining…