Sixteen of Augusta Technical College's Occupational Therapy Assistant students visited Belair Elementary School to help celebrate National Backpack Awareness Day. The ATC students completed weight analysis on backpacks for the children and offered tips on the proper way to select, pack and wear backpacks.

64 students were weighed. The average weight of students was 88 pounds. Average weight of backpacks was 10 pounds. The average percent of weight students were carrying was 12%. The heaviest bookbag weighed 20 pounds. 38% of students had bookbags that were 15% of their own body weight.

Read more about Backpack Awareness Day in the Augusta Chronicle at the following link:

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/092106/met_97508.shtml