ST PAUL, Minn. — Benjamin E. Mays Elementary has new vending machine at school — and it's not filled with beverages, but rather, books.
It's meant to inspire students like Ga'liyah Starr to read. Her mother, Khim McAdory, says 4-year-old Starr already loves books — even if she can't quite read yet.
"She's not really reading yet but she'll point at the words," McAdory said. "We have a lot of books at home."
Now the pre-K student has access to even more books to take home from school. Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood brought in the book vending machine Wednesday, unveiling it in a ribbon cutting ceremony alongside Mayor Melvin Carter, who went to kindergarten at the same school.
"When I was your age, we would open the books, and not a lot of the books had people in them that looked like me," Mayor Carter told the children.
All of the books inside the vending machine are written by local Black authors, including Dr. Artika Tyner, founder of Planting People Growing Justice, and news reporter Shayla Reaves.
"I love my students being able to see themselves reflected in books," said Starr's teacher, Naomi Loving. "The more opportunities we can get books in students hands, the more excited they are about it."
Instead of paying money, students will earn tokens to use in the machine.
"Getting it out of a vending machine has this whole air of excitement to it," Ward 2 City Council Member Rebecca Noecker said.
This is the second book vending machine within St. Paul Public Schools. The other is at Maxfield Elementary School. Those involved say this program aligns with other commitments to improve literacy rates among elementary students. Back in the fall, the district launched SPPS Reads, an initiative incorporating evidence-based, Science of Reading practices.
"It might be something different we don't have, so it's always a good thing, yeah, to get something different and new," McAdory said.
Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood added in a statement, "In collaboration with Wilder African American Babies Coalition & Projects and Planting People Growing Justice, this partnership seeks to transform how students discover their next favorite book, reinforcing the district's commitment to literacy."
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