A cooperative paraprofessional experience program between the Elementary Education Department at Montana State University and the nearby public school system is described. Junior-level students enrolled for two quarters of paraprofessional training taken concurrently with two blocks of professional coursework. The benefits of the program were fourfold: (1) elementary school students, many with special needs, received extended instruction; (2) university students were able to observe and institute educational practices presented in coursework while assessing their own aptitude for teaching; (3) elementary school teachers received much needed help and assistance in instructional and teaching-related tasks; and (4) university instruction was much improved through opportunities provided for students to really appply skills. (DS)