The Union for Research and Experimentation in Higher Education, a consortium of 10 colleges, initiated an experimental study of a new model for off-campus education in selected problematic areas. The model places students and faculty members in Field Study Centers-- or Beachhead Colleges --to help solve local problems through interaction between themselves and the community. This interaction tests the relevance of education to community needs, and its utility in helping local people to eventually solve their own problems. Activities during the 6 months to a year spent at a center include seminar programs, projects and research studies, several of which link the center to the students' institutions. Two centers are already in operation, 1 on the underdeveloped island of Kauai, Hawaii and another in the Appalachian area of Pikeville, Kentucky. Two additional centers are planned for inner-city Chicago and for a suburb of New York City. Study results indicate that the Field Study Center model can be effective in different settings. The establishment of more centers is planned as capable faculty are discovered and more colleges make their students available for periods of 6 months to 1 year. (WM)