Rural communities face unique challenges in building resilience to acute shocks and chronic stresses. With fewer financial resources, more land area to cover for emergency response, sparse and decaying infrastructure, and limited job opportunities, creating a model for rural communities in how to address the unique physical, social and economic challenges they face is critical for the populations living in these areas. This panel will examine case studies of community engagement strategies and best practices for working in partnership with government, private sector and nonprofit organizations.