A conference on economic development, education, and rural community engagement brought representatives from higher education, government agencies, and education research together with experts in community revitalization and activism to discuss how efforts might be coordinated across disciplines to accomplish lasting reforms in poor, rural communities. Characteristics of revitalized communities were identified as visionary leadership, quality jobs, strategic economic and social development, and external linkages. Factors critical to community revitalization, but often missing, include leadership, policies that recognize rural differences, partnerships and power sharing, and thoughtful development of technology. In discussions of institutional roles in revitalizing poor, rural communities, it was noted that schools could offer entrepreneurial curricula, provide a curriculum of place, and become community centers that offer lifelong learning opportunities and serve as focal points for revitalization. The roles of churches, extension services, community organizations, and researchers were also discussed. Assets in rural communities include physical infrastructures, people and organizations, resourcefulness, and technology. National resources for rural communities include the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, and Labor; the American Association of School Administrators; and the National Science Foundation. Participants offered reflections and recommendations for immediate action and research in four areas: interactions between schools and communities, building community capacity, information dissemination, and public research and public policy. Appendices present the agenda and participant list. (TD)