SCA partnered with American Eagle Outfitters in 2008 to pilot the Alternative Spring Break program at Padre Island National Seashore and Grand Canyon National Park. Ninety-nine college students contributed 5,298 hours of service, led by 7 SCA staff and 8 National Park Service staff. The focus of the program was on exposing youth to conservation service, and participants learned valuable new skills, learned from each other, while completing a phenomenal amount of service to the land.   This new program, takes place during college spring break season and it generated 400 applications for only 100 available positions. 

Padre Island National Seashore
Team members built 2,277 feet of one boardwalk and added on 20 x 16 feet to Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Research Station including flooring, walls, interior & exterior siding, trim, windows, doors, and a new roof, and they expanded the sea turtle breeding pen by 425 square feet.

Grand Canyon National Park
The teams removed approximately 22,000 invasive plants, monitored and signed 20 miles of fence and cleaned off graffiti from 52 miles of trail.