While thousands of spring breakers are on the beach soaking up sun, there are many college students who are using their vacation to help our beaches.

All week about thirty students from Appalachian State University and East Carolina University are picking up trash along Panama City Beach and recycling the debris.

The students are also coming up with ideas to recycle and prevent trash from being tossed on the beach.

An organization out of Atlanta called "Break-Away" puts together alternative Spring Break programs for college students and that's where these students signed up to help.

The students have pledged to be drug and alcohol free throughout the week to keep their focus and set an example for their peers.

In the mornings they are picking up trash at various beach accesses along Panama City Beach.

In the afternoons, the students are handing out trash bags to other spring breakers and asking them to help the cause.

Kirk Lancaster is the head of the Keep the Beach Clean program.

"Most of these college kids are smart, from great families, they're getting great educations, they care and we just wanted to show the community that there are students who want to help and they want to solve issues and solve problems."

In the coming weeks, look out for L-S-U and F-S-U students taking part in the program and cleaning the beaches.

If you would like to learn more about the effort you can log onto keep the beach clean.com