Conditions in Buffalo, New York, parallel those in cities elsewhere across the United States. The public school population nears 75 percent children of color, with over 80 percent qualifying for the free or reduced-price lunch program--a primary indicator of poverty. In contrast, the teacher population, drawn almost exclusively from the middle class, is nearly 80 percent white. To counter this disparity, colleges and universities in the region found it essential to recruit more minority students into teacher preparation programs, as well as to redesign teacher education programs, in order to prepare all prospective teachers to work with poor, inner-city children. The following article chronicles the authors' work in these areas while also offering preservice teachers and school personnel the opportunity to share their experiences. In addition, the article highlights various ways to build community partnerships and programs, in the hope that readers will be inspired to create similar collaborations within their environments. (Contains 5 online resources.)