The results indicate that students believed that completing the career development project was valuable because they benefited from learning about their own career interests and actual career projects. The findings of this study also reinforce existing research indicating that career development is a crucial element of the educational process as students transition from high school to post secondary education and/or the labor market. Previous studies have shown that students who participate in career exploration programs are more likely to graduate from high school, and educational attainment is a key factor in reducing recidivism and that there is substantial evidence indicating that career development as a crucial element of the educational process as students move into the labor market. This was a qualitative study which examined student perceptions of the Career Development curriculum used at Robert Farrell School in Oregon, where students are required to complete a career project to fulfill the Oregon State requirement that students demonstrate career skills to earn a high school diploma. During the course of the study conducted at Robert Farrell School, data were collected on 73 students who had participated in the curriculum over a 6 year time span. Twenty-eight students currently on campus were surveyed to answer 3 major questions regarding the career development project (CDP): whether the students believed that the CDP project helped them achieve important career skills; what their perceptions were of their experience in the CDP curriculum; and whether they believed the process of completing their CDP was valuable. References