American Trails Award to SCA

SCA is the proud recipient of The Kids and Trails Award from American Trails, announced at their National Symposium held in Chattanooga TN, this past November.

The Award honors efforts to engage children and youth in outdoor experiences using trails.

Creative interpretive, educational and/or recreational design components are included along with innovative programs which stimulate children’s imagination and promote their interest in and appreciation for the natural environment while developing healthy life styles.

In recognizing SCA's achievements, American Trails said, "We are proud to congratulate the Student Conservation Association for this prestigious accomplishment! During the summer of 2009, the SCA brought kids and trails together on 103 crews in 18 cities and major metropolitan areas across the nation. These SCA crews (with a total of 1,272 high school age members) restored 329,392 feet of trail at 185 project sites in city and county parks. An additional 57,641 feet of new trail was created by these kids. Over 16 million people have the potential of benefiting from these improvements to their urban green spaces and ultimately to their quality of life. First established more than three decades ago, SCA’s urban community-based programs have experienced significant growth recently. In 2006, SCA fielded 326 high school students in 6 communities; this number has grown to approximately 1,400 participants in urban areas nationwide this year."