The purpose of this study was to identify ways a Global Schools Initiative in rural schools, especially in northwestern North Carolina, supported students, teachers, and the greater community. The study reviewed the factors that facilitated this initiative and looked at the impact the initiative had on students, teachers, and the community. I desire to give guidance to other rural school leaders who might be interested in implementing their own Global Schools Initiative. The results of the research I conducted, along with the theoretical framework presented in Chapter 2, allowed me to hypothesize how students in a Global Schools Initiative compared to students not involved in a Global Schools Initiative. This research highlighted a need to continue to study this hypothesis in the environment of Global Schools Initiatives in a rural school district in the state of North Carolina. I found that the Global Schools Initiative that was implemented did have an effect on the academics, culture, and attendance in the school as well as on teacher job satisfaction and community relations. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]