A new vending machine in the hallways of Methacton's Arrowhead Elementary School does not dispense sodas or snacks, but rather paperbacks.
And it will not work with quarters or dollars either -- Positive reinforcements and good deeds are the tokens for the free books.
On Wednesday afternoon, students and teachers at the Kindergarten-to-fourth-grade Collegeville school celebrated a new resource for literacy and youth empowerment with a ribbon cutting for the new Book Vending Machine.
Families of the school were able to raise more than $50,000 through the nonprofit home & school association to make the book vending machine possible.
Students can earn tokens to choose any book that interests them in the vending machine through positive behaviors, good citizenship, and a strong work ethic.
According to Methacton Communications Coordinator Amanda Kelly, the book vending machine empowers young readers and provides access to a wide selection of children's books to fuel imaginations.
While also encouraging a passion for reading, the vending machine is now another tool in the district's multifaceted resources focused on literacy.