Parents are usually fighting to keep vending machines out of schools, but this new take on the sales machines might change their minds. Late last month, the Arthur O. Eve School of Distinction had a ribbon-cutting ceremony that kids were super excited for. This school's vending machine wasn't filled with candy, though — it was filled with books.
If you thought Scholastic book fairs were the best day of the school year, just imagine what it's like for students to have a vending machine full of school-approved reading material. It's a pretty awesome idea.
The school gives students golden coins to use as currency for the machine, so there is no cost for parents or students, either. The vending machine features age-appropriate reads for all the school's students, who range from pre-K to 4th grade. School staff members plan to have a monthly rotation so every student gets a turn picking a title. The kids also get to keep the books, which encourages them to read outside of school hours.
We all know how important it is for children to develop a rich imagination. Books are one of the many wonderful ways they can do that.
The Arthur O. Eve school in Buffalo, New York, has found a new and exciting way to get books into kids' hands: a vending machine!
The vending machine was funded by Buffalo's Community Action Board and cost $2,000 to install.
An extra $1,000 went into filling the machine with Scholastic books.
A nonprofit organization called Teacher's Desk has agreed to work with the school to keep the machine stocked.
A local author also tweeted out information about the book vending machine to encourage other authors to donate their books.
Principal Parette Walker explained how the vending machine would work to WBFO News: "We’re not basing it on behavior. We’re not basing it on attendance, so that everyone will have a chance to receive a book. There will be a monthly rotation of all students."
The goal of the vending machine is to get all kids at the school excited about reading.
The emphasis on reading is important for students in the area, where literacy is an issue. "If our children can read, they can survive," the principal noted.
Students are welcome to keep the books from the vending machine. Supporters hope this will emphasize the importance of reading outside of school, and give students an opportunity to build a book collection of their own.
The school is getting praise from other educators and parents, who support their efforts to increase literacy.
In addition to Scholastic, several authors have provided information on how other schools can set up similar programs.
Some parents have already started working with their school districts to set up book vending machines of their own.
There's also a lot of hope that publishers will assist schools in making these programs possible, as Scholastic did.
If these smiling faces are any indication, the book vending machine has already gotten kids much more excited about reading.
