Rural counties are among both the most and the least ethnically diverse, conditions that offer different but equally compelling rationales for multicultural education. Diverse communities need to acknowledge their cultural wealth, creating community structures that respect differences and build on the strengths of each culture. Homogeneous communities need to import diversity, creating structures to explore how to function with cultures different than their own. Pilot projects in eight rural schools in Washington and Arizona demonstrate the different community contexts in which multicultural reform must act. In two elementary schools with rapidly growing Hispanic populations, change strategies have involved extensive staff development and efforts to increase parent participation. Three American Indian schools are integrating their own cultures into the curriculum while connecting students to other cultures through student and teacher exchanges with each other and with two other project schools having primarily Anglo populations. In addition to the exchanges, the two Anglo schools are offering students, parents, and staff a menu of opportunities to increase multicultural awareness. Teachers at an ethnically diverse high school are focusing on making all students feel a valued part of the school. These schools have followed similar patterns of evolution, which begins as teachers deepen their cultural awareness within the context of ongoing school projects, and proceeds to a change in the overall school culture. Contains 53 references and 16 organizations offering additional information on multicultural education. (SV)