The author cites prevailing negativism about rural education and notes the advantages of using rural people as resources for gifted education in those communities. (CL)

A pilot project in rural Mississippi provided supported employment services to five handicapped persons. The project combined professional resources available through a community-based developmental disabilities program with existing community resources and social network systems. Project components, project development, and individual client…

The report describes the design of a community development model for child abuse and neglect which used resources already existing in a rural area. The first section presents basic generalizations about rural areas, services, and rural human services professionals. Section II presents working papers, definitions, and concepts used in the project.…

A model to serve rural (Kentucky) mentally retarded adults age 50 and over incorporates generic community resources such as residential, nutritional, medical, recreational, and transportation services with age appropriate activities and programs. The system is intended to provide an alternative to the life-long work setting of the workshop or work…

This paper examines the organization, planning, development, and staging of foot races, bicycle races, or multi-event competitions as fund raisers for public or private groups in rural areas. Local businesses often assist in sponsoring such events in order to get free advertising and make money from newcomers drawn to the event. Organizers must be…

This essay addresses how to cope with several potential barriers to implementing effective service-learning projects. The discussion builds on experiences of developing and refining service-learning in upper-division communication courses. Difficulties arise in three areas: the institutional and physical setting, student attitudes, and community…

A strong rural arts project should be collaborative. Collaborative projects accommodate diverse needs and agendas, develop non-school project advocates, are sustained by and rely on several sources, and strengthen communities. Because local artists are accessible, have a special commitment to improving education in their communities, and…

As many as 15 million people living in rural areas report one or more long-term impairments that significantly affect their quality of life. In general, disabled people living in rural areas receive fewer services than do people in urban areas. For example, counties in Montana with the largest population centers received significantly more…

Describes study of rural or small town community development programs funded by the Small Town Emphasis Program. Outlines program factors including competition, innovation, needs assessment, low income involvement, networks, technical assistance, efficiency, strategy, and timing. Provides examples of six programs and recommends future development…

With much to offer rural girls as well as much to learn from them, Girl Scouting is trying to reach more girls and adults in rural areas. The challenges include economic setbacks for farming, unemployment, isolated populations, and changing rural culture. Along with the challenges are the many resources of rural areas and the congruence between…

Several targets, tools and strategies can help the novice director of programs for preschool handicapped children in rural isolated areas work with advocates and volunteers who may offer valuable help, but who need information and direction. The fragility of intercommunity relationships in rural areas often requires the sensitive use of talents…

A model for providing a continuum of comprehensive school-community services incorporates systems of prevention, early intervention, and care. Key components for addressing barriers to learning include classroom-focused enabling, student and family assistance, community outreach, home involvement, support for transitions, and crisis/emergency…

A questionnaire distributed to part-time recreation directors in Wisconsin identified training needs and formed the basis for this manual. The workbook-like format was designed to facilitate self-directed study by recreation directors. The first chapter summarizes the results of the questionnaire and presents statistical data, noting the…

Cooperation, sharing, and competence are the key ideas in the Victorian Country Education Project, a pilot project to be conducted in a limited number of rural areas in Australia in an effort to overcome problems peculiar to rural schools and communities and to search for new ways to provide those schools and communities with improved educational…

The Victorian Country Education Project (CEP), a pilot project searching for new ways of bringing beneficial educational experiences to disadvantaged rural areas, successfully achieved its aims of establishing community-based programs involving varied groups and people in developing solutions to local educational problems. A central Planning…