Between 2004 and 2006 the RURALpro project developed a “European Training Course for Future Professional Trainers of Regional and Rural De - velopment,” which used a holistic approach toward rural development to address the dramatic and complex economic and social changes aff ecting rural areas across Europe. The project was based on the assumption that the importance of agriculture is declining and its role is changing in today’s Europe. New rural industries and new kinds of entrepreneurship are emerging, and residential patterns are changing because of outgoing, and possibly incoming, migration. As a result, new target groups for adult education are appearing, such as rural entrepreneurs, business networks, and communities in the voluntary sector. Partners set out to answer the question of how teachers informal and non-formal education should approach and address these target groups. The partnership, consisting of six higher- and secondarylevel educational institutions representing fi ve countries, drew from the results of a previous Grundtvig project entitled ADORE – Adult Education as a Tool for Rural Development. The RURALpro training course, which was equivalent to three European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits, was tested and extensively evaluated. Much attention was placed on fi nding the right balance between interactivity and theory. Themes addressed in the course included concepts of sustainable rural development, community and network development, partnership and participation, and adult education as a tool for rural development. A variety of teaching methods were used to ensure the understanding of materials and to enhance the content’s relevance. The course acknowledged the importance of intercultural learning, and supported networking among its participants. This process did not end, however, with the training course. A memory box, follow-up questionnaires, and a book of inspiration were used to keep the networking process going. The curriculum and further information about the project and the training courses are available on the project’s web site.