Based on research and discussions with rural educators in Australia and New Zealand, a new rural teacher preparation program at the University of Victoria (British Columbia) is intended to sensitize students to the professional life of teachers in small rural communities and to acquaint them with the demands of teaching multi-graded classes. The program responds to the current shortage of urban teaching vacancies in British Columbia, the expectation that most education students will have difficulty securing non-rural positions in the province for at least 5 years, demands for greater accountability, and rural parents' expectations of education which require that students be well prepared for their first appointments. In the new program, students must complete their third and fourth years of training at the David Thompson University Centre in rural Nelson, British Columbia. Third-year students participate in a 4-month rural field experience and fourth-year students have two 6-week rural practicums. Both groups are expected to teach at primary and intermediate levels, to log their experiences, and to become immersed in the dynamics of teaching and residing in a small community. Students completing the fourth year are eligible for the British Columbia Teaching Certificate. (SB)