Collaborative strategies were used by The College of Saint Rose (CSR) and 15 rural school districts in upstate New York to implement preservice teacher training and programming to better meet the needs of handicapped learners in rural settings. Through meetings and questionnaires, rural administrative teams identified relevant skills and issues that preservice teachers need to work effectively with handicapped students in mainstreamed settings in rural areas. This input, along with conclusions drawn from literature reviews, provided the basis for preparation of a Rural Education Resource Booklet to assist CSR faculty in adopting a curriculum infusion approach to include rural components in their education courses, with emphasis on problems of teaching mainstreamed handicapped students in rural settings. The booklet contained an introduction and rationale for teacher preparation for rural service, gave five key competencies for teaching handicapped children in rural areas, and identified several major objectives for teaching each competency. The booklet also suggested content for teaching these objectives through educational profiles, readings, activities, dilemmas, simulations, discussion questions, transparencies, resource lists, and information on new technology. By fall 1985, two student teachers had been placed in participating rural school districts and nine CSR faculty members had incorporated rural materials into their courses. (NEC)