T-L Photos/JOSIE BURKHART Union Local is using a $15,000 grant to install book vending machines at the elementary school that English, Language Arts & Social Studies Curriculum & Instruction Coordinator Jennifer Wooding says will improve literacy outcomes. Shown from left front are: Alayah Jones, Brook Fulton and Walker Cain. Back row: Grades 3-5 Principal Ron Bober, Wooding, Gunner Kimble, Autianna Johnson, Harrison Starr and Pre-K through Grade 2 Principal Dana Kendziorksi.

BELMONT — Students will now earn tokens to receive books from new vending machines at Union Local Middle and Elementary schools.

The Union Local School District received a $15,000 grant in the first nine weeks of the school year to put Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machines into the buildings and allocated $5,000 for books to stock the machines.

English Language Arts & Social Studies Curriculum & Instruction Coordinator Jennifer Wooding worked with Ellen Rossi, president of the EQT Foundation, to secure the funding and also collaborated with Crystal Lorimor, executive director of the Community Improvement Corp. of Belmont County, to be able to purchase the book vending machines.

The title of the project is called The Next Chapter. Wooding said it’s an extension of some work the district has already been doing to improve literacy outcomes.

“We’re trying to close gaps and increase reading opportunities for kids,” she said. “And we’re going to integrate this project into our schools’ positive intervention system.”

Teachers will use tokens that came with the vending machines, giving them to students to reinforce positive behaviors they want to see. The students can redeem the tokens to get books out of the vending machines.

The ultimate goal is for every student in preschool through grade eight to receive a token because the whole point is to get the books in the hands of children, Wooding said.

Union Local wants to integrate the vending machines into its behavior system, so when teachers see students doing what they want them to do – such as completing their reading homework, being fully engaged in class or contributing positively to group discussions – they will reward them with tokens.

Students will be able to choose between different genres of chapter, picture, fiction and nonfiction books at different levels that they get to keep.

Teachers will start awarding tokens, and students will be able to receive books, starting Jan. 15.

Wooding said in her research and seeing other schools in Belmont County have book vending machines, she thought this would be a great initiative for the school.

“I just thought that it was such a great thing for kids to give them access to free books,” she said. “And we want to increase reading engagement and improve literacy skills and ultimately want to create a positive reading culture in our schools.”

Union Local has made some instruction and curricular changes within the last year to address literacy, so adding these machines is another extension, Wooding said.

The book vending machines can benefit not only students but teachers as well, because anytime children are reading more frequently and have access to books of their choice it will be reflected in the classroom. Students who read more are more engaged and excited about reading, Wooding said. She added that when someone creates those kinds of conditions, it’s going to set students up for more success within reading classes.

Wooding will sustain these efforts by applying to future grants, participating in book drives and talking with the parent teacher organization about its support.

This project will cover just under 1,000 students who will get to experience new books right out of a vending machine.

“I feel like it’s an exciting thing for our district. … They are going to be able to get some books in their hands that they can keep forever and ever,” Wooding said. “That was very important for me, because books are expensive, and I think that it’s a great way to help kids and families build a library for themselves.”