 |
| Christen (center), her brother Casey,
and friend Leigh Clayton model the original "Vest
Pack." |
Six classes a day, 40
pounds of books, no locker, and boy does your back hurt!
It's not easy being a school kid today. Forget pre-algebra
and the bully on the playground--kids go through a tough
workout every
50 minutes lugging books, projects and supplies from one
class to the next. And traditional
backpacks hurt as much as they help.
In 1999, sixth grade Christen Wooley came home
with a project from her science class--invent a useful product
that solves a common problem. The thought occurred
to her as
she hefted her overloaded backpack that a comfortable, wearable
bookbag might be a great idea.
With her parents help, she designed and built
a prototype out of scraps of material. By replacing the straps
used by backpacks with a body-hugging vest, weight was more
evenly distributed--and placing pockets up front gave the wearer
quick access to smaller items such as pens, keys or calculators.
The whole process took a couple of days, and the result was
an
instant
hit.
 |
| Today, Christen is vice president and
co-founder of Vestpakz LLC. |
Encouraged by her initial success, Christen
entered her creation in the sixteenth International Houghton-Mifflen
Science Convention. She placed first in the intermediate level,
and went on to win further accolades. Her invention earned
Walt Disney's Dreamers and Doers award, and last year her "Vest
Pack" made the semifinals in a competition sponsored by
the United Inventors Association. Today her invention holds
U.S.
patent number 6,397,392.
Vestpakz LLC. was established to develop, produce
and market Christen Wooley's idea. From the classroom to the
workplace, from sporting events to outdoor recreational activities,
Vestpakz are a convenient, comfortable way to
carry everything
you need.
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