I am currently working on a school project were I am trying to connect many buttons to the digital pins in an arduino then make each button have a specific action in a processing sketch. I have tried many different things and am still not sure how to do it and I am open to any suggestions people have to fix this problem.
Hi,
Welcome to the forum.
Please read the first post in any forum entitled how to use this forum.
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,148850.0.html
Can you tell us and post any sketches you have tried?
Posting sketches are presented with the </> icon in the reply Menu.
See section 7 http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,148850.0.html
Have you googled arduino processing
Processing has some examples of how to communicate with arduino.
Have you managed to get any comms between your arduino and PC and/or Processing.
Can you please post a copy of your arduino circuit, in CAD or a picture of a hand drawn circuit in jpg, png?
To show us how you have your switches wired.
Thanks .. Tom... 
You could send a message to Processing like <1,0,1,1,0> where each 1 or 0 represents a switch being ON or OFF.
...R