Philadelphia organizations provide free backpacks, highlight proper fit and safety 2%
By Chanel Hill0%
8/6/2026, 4:00:00 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 4 faulty reasoning types, including Optimism Bias, Availability Heuristic, and Appeal to Authority, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 5.2% saturation with 48 hits. Analysis detected 127 faulty-reasoning hits from 924 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 5.8% and a BS Rank of 2% (27,906 of 28,321 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 98.50% of the article peer group.
As Philadelphia families prepare for the new school year, organizations across the city are helping ease the cost of school supplies by providing free backpacks to students.
The giveaways also come as health experts warn that improperly fitted or overloaded backpacks can contribute to back, shoulder and neck pain among students.
According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 60% of students ages 11 to 15 report backpack-related back pain.
"A lot of people are not aware of the complications that can arise from heavy backpacks, wearing them every day, multiple times a day," said Caitlyn Foy, program director of the occupational therapy program at Temple University.
"Some of the signs can be neck, shoulder and lower back pain," Foy said.
"If the pain becomes severe, a child's back can begin to spasm and they may start walking hunched over with their shoulders rounded forward."
While health experts focus on preventing backpack-related injuries, local organizations are helping students return to school prepared with the supplies they need.
The School District of Philadelphia is helping families through its annual Back to School Bus Tours, which provides free backpacks, school supplies, immunizations, sports physicals and information about district schools and academic programs.
During each stop on the tour, families receive backpacks and school supplies along with access to health services and district resources.
This year's tour will stop at Penrose Elementary School, Marcus Foster Memorial Stadium, Martin Luther King High School and the Roosevelt Mall.
The tour runs through Aug.
15.
"The backpacks with school supplies distributed during the Back-to-School Bus Tour are lightweight and padded," the district said in an email to the Tribune.
"Students also take home Chromebooks for homework, and some younger children may carry home folders or lightweight workbooks."
Kendra McDow, School District of Philadelphia’s medical officer, said properly fitting and packing backpacks can help reduce the risk of injury.
"Heavy backpacks that are not worn properly can cause back pain in children," she said.
"The backpack should weigh no more than 15% of a student's body weight.
It should also be the correct size for the child's height because oversized bags can lead to overstuffing."
ACHIEVEability, a West Philadelphia nonprofit, is helping families get ready for the school year through its annual backpack giveaway.
The organization will distribute nearly 2,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to students ages 5 to 18 during its Aug. 19 event from 4 to 6 p.m. at 5901 Market St.
The event has been held for nearly 15 years.
"We just want to get everyone excited for the school year," said Jamilia Harris-Morrison, executive director of ACHIEVEability.
"While the end of summer can be bittersweet, a new school year brings new opportunities to make friends, learn and try new activities."
"For the event itself, the child has to be present because it's their shopping experience," she said.
"They get to choose the backpack they like."
Beyond providing backpacks, the event will connect families with additional resources, including education resources, utility assistance through PECO and PGW, digital literacy resources and a partnership with state Rep.
Morgan Cephas' office.
Staff and volunteers help children choose bags that are appropriate for their size.
"The backpacks are organized by elementary, middle and high school," Harris-Morrison said.
"Volunteers help children choose the backpack they want, whether it's a certain color or character.
If a younger child picks one that's too big, we'll find one that's more suitable for their height and make sure it has the supplies they need to start school."
Beyond choosing the right backpack, experts say selecting the proper fit and wearing it correctly can reduce the risk of injury.
Experts recommend choosing backpacks with wide, padded shoulder straps and selecting a size appropriate for the child.
"Families should look for backpacks with wider padded straps rather than thin strings, and a padded back panel to protect against items pressing into the back," said Dr.
Amer Kechli, professor of clinical pediatrics and a pediatrician at Temple Pediatric Care.
"A waist strap can help distribute the weight," he said.
"Teach children to wear both straps, place heavier items closer to the back and adjust the straps so the backpack sits high on the back instead of sagging below the waist."
Although back pain is not uncommon in children, Kechli said families and students can take steps to reduce the risk.
"Backpacks are only one factor that can contribute to back pain in children," he said.
"Poor posture, low activity levels and even stress can play a role."
"Families should avoid overpacking backpacks and encourage children to use lockers when possible," Kechli said.
"Teach good posture and safe lifting techniques, such as bending at the knees instead of leaning forward while wearing a backpack.
Regular physical activity and core-strengthening exercises can also help prevent future back problems."
Backpack safety education continues beyond the start of the school year.
September is the American Occupational Therapy Association's Backpack Awareness Month, when occupational therapists educate families and schools about backpack safety and injury prevention.
Foy said her occupational therapy doctoral students help educate the community each fall through a self-care fair focused on backpack awareness.
"We bring different weights and backpacks to show what 10% of your body weight feels like," she said.
"We have a scale so people can calculate what that weight should feel like and understand what they are carrying.
We also have students at schools for fieldwork experiences who have done projects educating teachers and administrators about backpack awareness."
Speakers
5speakers57%attributed speech394writer words
Selected voice
33%flagged-word coverageJamilia Harris-Morrison
123 attributed words23% of attributed speech11% writer coverage
Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.
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