Careers occupy a major portion of one's life and often contribute to one's identity. This action research study explored and appraised career awareness activities for K-12 students in a rural, eastern region in the United States. Data was collected from high school student participants in the form of survey and focus group sessions during the first round of research (Cycle 1). This provided an understanding of individuals who influenced students' postsecondary decisions, students' familiarity with basic college and career pathways (e.g. amount of schooling needed, the average salary, different types of colleges and degrees, and the cost), why students did/did not want to pursue college or a particular career, how their school supported career planning, and which postsecondary options students were most/least comfortable with. The results of Cycle 1 demonstrated students were more anxious than confident and sought more information about career pathways earlier in their K-12 education. Informed by these results, a series of three Design Lab sessions (Cycle 2 Action Step) were implemented to provide a space to examine current career awareness activities and co-create potential additions between K-12 and college faculty, staff, and administrators, parents and students, and local business representatives. Evaluation of the data collected revealed that when creating career awareness activities, a variety of obstacles interfere with revising current activities, alternate activities should be considered, relationships and partnerships are needed, and current efforts are not enough or need to be done differently. One implication for educators engaged in similar work is the importance of building relationships between schools and communities. In addition, more information on careers and career pathways and new approaches to career awareness are needed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]