MONROE, N.C. – Book vending machines at Union County Public Schools are encouraging students to read.

 

What You Need To Know

  • Book vending machines are promoting literacy at Union County Public Schools

  • Students can pick a book and keep it after earning a gold coin

  • Gold coins are earned when students achieve an academic or behavioral goal


The Shiloh Valley Schools Parent Teacher Association funded this initiative at Shiloh Valley Primary and Shiloh Valley Elementary, making literacy a high priority and motivating children to become readers.

The vending machine is filled with free books students can retrieve if they earn gold coins.

According to Shiloh Valley Elementary School Principal Susan Rodgers, students can earn gold coins when they achieve an academic or behavioral goal.

“Their eyes light up. They’re excited to come to the vending machine. They’re proud of the book they earn and they’re actually are motivated to read that book and to be able to earn more gold coins,” Rodgers says.

Shiloh Valley Elementary fourth grader Emanuel Santos Perez earned a gold coin. He was excited about the unique vending machine that contained one of the books from the series "Eerie Elementary". 

 

“They have good books and they can grow your mind,” Santos Perez says.

Fifth grader Isabella Arias earned a gold coin for helping her classmates during remote learning. She chose one of the graphic novels from the series "The Baby-Sitter’s Club".

“I think it’s a really great thing and it motivates you to work even harder,” Arias says.

Thanks to the vending machine, fifth grader Alexa Latta is reading "The Tower of London". She says the free books are a great incentive but she’s not the only one who deserves recognition.

"Yes, I will continue working hard but there are other kids in my class who also deserve gold coins,” Latta says.

Isabella agrees and continues to encourage her classmates to do their best.

There are two years worth of books as part of the program.