GARDEN GROVE, Calif. -- Travis Johnson was concerned when he went to Patton Elementary School to pick up his little brother and sister, because there were backpacks everywhere.

So when he was thinking what to do for his Eagle Scout project, he knew.

"I'd go to pick them up after school and there would be all kinds of backpacks laying by the side wall next to the classrooms ... so I got the idea to make backpack racks ... to make it a safer area for backpacks, and make the area look nicer." Johnson said.



Scouts working toward their Eagle rank choose and must get approval for their projects.

First just some of the teachers at Patton wanted the racks, but later the principal said all of the teachers wanted the racks. So, Johnson, his fellow Scouts from Troop 548, their leaders and others made racks for about 30 rooms.

The Scouts sanded and painted the wood, attaching high-quality knobs to the wood and attaching the racks to the outside walls of the classrooms.

The project took 10 boys -- with help from leaders and other adults --  eight days and about 350 hours to complete. Johnson said his dad helped him the most.

"Scouting is great. It teaches you how to become a better person, It teaches you a lot of good qualities to have in life. You have lots of fun, go on different outings. Overall it's just a great thing to get into. There's no bad thing about it."

Johnson thanks his family, leaders and friends for helping him and supporting him. He said it helped him a lot and meant a lot to him.

Johnson has lived in Garden Grove all his life and attended Pacifica High School. He recently began studies at Cerritos College and hopes to work in either the oil industry or development of Third World water resources, with a future degree in geology.