This report covers the first phase of a three-phase research program entitled "Developing Model NYC Programs for Rural Youth". The report contains three sections. The first section, "An Experimental Rural Youth Program for the North Central States" contains a detailed description of the general framework of a program for rural youths living in the North Central states. This section also constitutes the tentative guidelines for operating model projects within this framework. The second section, "Model Projects for an Experimental Rural Youth Program" designates three sites in which model projects can be tested, and outlines the kinds of model projects that are planned, including projected enrollment levels and budgets. The third section consists of three operating handbooks. (Author)