Replicating the Appalachia Educational Laboratory's (AEL) experience-based career education (EBCE) model, this project had as its objectives increasing students' basic, career awareness, and life skills; developing in students awareness of their abilities, interests, and aptitudes; developing positive student, parent, and community attitudes; developing an outreach plan, training center, and expertise to provide technical assistance; and evaluating EBCE effectiveness. Students used AEL's Student Program and Career Guides to assess academic and career needs before developing individualized education programs with their learning coordinator. The first-year evaluation addressed questions concerning academic achievement and career concept learning; student characteristics; student followup; student, parent, and community attitudes; impact on high schools; and dissemination results. A two-and-one-half-year study concluded that (1) EBCE students are mostly juniors and seniors, are equally divided between males and females, and vary in level of academic achievement; (2) EBCE and more traditional curriculum equally develop/maintain basic skills; (3) EBCE students are rated as more mature by themselves, parents, and learning coordinators and as better young workers by employers; and (4) benefits to students were realistic job and work experience, learning self-discipline, a chance to mature, learning to consider alternatives in planning, and good preparation and motivation for college. (YLB)