Sustaining Hoosier Communities is the largest rurally focused university teaching initiative in the United States. This award-winning program has connected more than 2,400 Indiana University students and their faculty with community-identified and driven projects that expand IU and rural Indiana’s networks while addressing local needs and opportunities. This session will provide education about considerations for community-engaged learning in partnership with rural communities, how to use the EPIC model to partner communities and universities, and benefits and strategies to using an Asset-Based Community Development framework for relationship-building and community project ideation.