Granton School
Unveils New Kind of Vending Machine
for its Students
2022

Dec. 20, the Granton Area School District unveiled a new book vending machine for children to spend tokens on after meeting educational goals. (l-r) Kim Aumann, Growing Granton Strong Committee chairman, and Sally Wisinski and Sue Hasenfang from the Women Helping Out organization stand with the machine with a ribbon wrapped around it for the elementary school kids to cut.
Submitted photo 

By Edward Dubois 

Dec. 20, excited elementary students “cut the ribbon” on the new vending machine purchased in cooperation with WHO (Women Helping Out) and the GGS (Growing Granton Strong) committee. 

However, instead of vending cans of soda or bags of snacks, it gives out food for the mind and imagination: books. 

Tokens will be given to students as rewards for accomplishing certain reading goals throughout the year, outlined on a BINGO-style sheet. 

Kim Aumann, instructional coach, read an article about the book vending machines two years ago. Last February, the WHO (Women Helping Out) organization reached out to the GGS committee about the possibility of giving the proceeds from their summer Golf Outing to the Granton Area School District. Always looking at ways to encourage students to read, Aumann shared the idea of getting a book vending machine. 

“They thought it was a great project to support,” Aumann said. 

The vending machine, holding 200 books, was purchased through Global Vending Group. Using the funds from WHO, the school was able to purchase a variety of books to fill the machine and have refills for the next couple of years. 

“We have a variety of books from picture books to chapter books,” Aumann described. “Our December and January book challenges are geared towards our elementary students. We will be incorporating our Middle and High School students to the challenges in February.” 

Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

December 28, 2022

Transcribed by Dolores M. Kenyon, December 30, 2022.

Web page by James W. Sternitzky PhD, December 30, 2022. 

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