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Strategies for Getting Involved
Occupational therapy practitioners
and students can help educate the public about backpack safety in a
number of ways:
Plan a Weigh-In Event:
- Weigh-in events have been very successful in demonstrating to students,
teachers, and parents just how heavy some of those backpacks can get.
And they're fun! The children enjoy it, and that makes learning all
the easier.
- Schools are the natural first choice for venue, but other locations
in the community may be just as effective, like rehab facilities,
shopping malls, wherever children and backpacks can be found.
Build a Partnership:
- When it comes to planning and financing an event such this, a partnership
is the best way to go. Figure you'll bring clinical expertise and
energy, but you'll want partners you can rely on to donate a venue,
funds for snacks or small giveaways for the children, or work with
the media to promote our message to the public.
Invite the Media
- This type of event has all the elements of a great news story. Plus,
the pictures can be so disarming! Don't miss out on a great chance
to introduce the media to occupational therapy and what it can do
for wellness.
This Community Toolkit has
all the materials needed to plan a weigh-in event, including letters
of introduction, parental permissions, even press releases to send to
the local media. We encourage you to use your imagination....because
with a program like this, anything is possible.
To share ideas for involvement
with colleagues, join the Backpack Listserv at backpack@aota.listserv.org.
To contact someone at AOTA headquarters, email PRAOTA@aota.org.
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