Rural Alabama high school freshmen and sophomores collected and analyzed data about community drinking water supplies in a social science research project designed to acquaint them with health care issues in their communities. Students interviewed government and business leaders, health care professionals, and residents in three rural counties. In a public forum students reviewed socioeconomic, demographic, and political characteristics of each county, assessed health care systems, presented investigation results, and discussed solutions and implications for community planning, health care systems, and social structures. Students learned basic social science research skills, gained self-confidence, learned to work with others, began to think critically about issues in their counties, and demonstrated that they could successfully assume the role of community researchers. The student project was part of the Biomedical Sciences Preparatory Program (BioPrep) of the University of Alabama's College of Community Medicine. BioPrep's purpose has been to develop academic and social skills in rural high school students so that they will be motivated and able to seek admission to and progress successfully through college toward a health sciences career and then return to rural Alabama to practice. The BioPrep program is described and student-obtained research data are presented in nine tables. (LFL)