In the Amphi Unified School District, three schools have large vending machines. But instead of snacks, each machine contains over a dozen books. The students are able to get the books when it’s their birthday.
“Reading has become a really strong event for our kids and having the vending machine will make it that much stronger and allow them to have a book at home,” Coronado K-8 School Principal JJ Letts said.
Tina GiulianoThe school district is hoping to get 11 more birthday book vending machines so that each elementary school in the district has one.
The Scripps Howard Fund and KGUN 9, the charitable arm of KGUN 9’s parent company E.W. Scripps, donated $10,000 for two more vending machines.
It’s part of the year-round literacy-based fundraising campaign called “If You Give A Child A Book”, which raises money for early-childhood literacy programs.
“We just want to make sure the kids are leaving our school district with a strong foundation,” Letts said.