This paper discusses the REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) model as a necessary component of rural school-to-work (STW) programs. In rural areas where opportunities for traditional STW approaches (such as apprenticeships) are limited, entrepreneurial education teaches students to be job creators, not just job applicants. This approach also prepares students for a changing workplace, where problem-solving and decision-making abilities are as important as technical skills. Founded in the early 1980s, REAL now operates in over 200 institutions in 30 states. REAL entrepreneurship is an experiential course of study taught for credit in high schools (usually grades 11-12) and community colleges, and to the general public through community organizations. REAL students explore the realities and rewards of small business ownership by assessing their personal abilities and goals, analyzing the community, identifying business ideas that meet local needs, writing plans for a chosen venture, and opening their own enterprises. Enterprises begun by students "graduate" into the community with the students who created them. At the elementary and middle school levels, REAL programs foster career awareness and student involvement in the community. Development of a REAL program requires a three-way partnership between a school, the community, and REAL Enterprises organizations. Local STW funds may be used for certain costs. This paper includes initial steps to establish a REAL program, costs, possible funding sources, benefits, and contact information for national and state REAL organizations. (SV)