The School District of Lancaster, in partnership with the Lancaster Education Foundation, is thrilled to announce the unveiling of a new Book Vending Machine at King Elementary School. This initiative, funded through a venture grant from the Lancaster Education Foundation, aims to foster a love of reading and reinforce positive behavior among students.
The Book Vending Machine, the first of its kind in our district, is a unique and engaging way to encourage students to make positive choices. “The vending machine provides students an opportunity to shop for books using their dojo points, which they have been earning throughout the entire year as part of our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program,” explained Jennifer Pahl, Principal of King Elementary. “Our goal is to put a book in everyone’s hands by the time they leave this building.”
Here’s how it works: when students achieve their behavioral goals, they earn special tokens. These tokens can be used to select a book from the vending machine, which features a variety of titles suitable for different reading levels and interests. The experience is enhanced by lights and bells that go off when a token is inserted, making it a fun and sensory-rich reward for their hard work.
“The idea behind book vending machines is to reinforce positive behavior in the classroom. When children make positive choices, they get a coin. After receiving a coin, they come down to the vending machine and choose any book they want. It’s not just about getting a book, but also about receiving positive reinforcement for good behavior,” said Angela Trout, Executive Director of the Lancaster Education Foundation. “This initiative is a positive tool to help students make good choices.”
The Lancaster Education Foundation has made a significant commitment to this initiative. “Any one of the 13 elementary schools in the School District of Lancaster that wants a book vending machine will receive our support to fund it,” added Trout. This commitment ensures that the benefits of this innovative program can be extended to more students across the district.
The unveiling of the Book Vending Machine at King Elementary marks a significant step in our ongoing efforts to promote literacy and positive behavior among our students. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this initiative will have on our school community.
For more information about the Book Vending Machine initiative or to learn how you can support the Lancaster Education Foundation, CLICK HERE.