Vending machine at St. Albert school dispenses kudos, books instead of candy bars

For students at a school in St. Albert, dropping a coin in one particular vending machine is more than a treat; it's an honour.

That's because the vending machine at Lois Hole Elementary School is filled not with candy bars, but with books, and a trip to the machine is earned by showing leadership or performing good deeds.

"It's also really exciting when the kids see their photo on their morning news and they're like a celebrity for doing positive things," assistant principal Tammy Schepens told CBC's Edmonton AM.

Teachers submit the names of students who participate in extracurricular activities for a chance to win a Golden Hornet coin. 

Amélie Parent earned a token in the fall for her project teaching younger students about Métis culture and history. The Grade 6 student grabbed the fifth book in the graphic novel series Wings of Fire.

"I thought it was really cool," she said. "My friends were sort of disappointed that it wasn't going to be filled with food, but I really like these books and I like how they're in French and English."

A ceremony was held where Amélie was presented with the token by the Grade 3 class she had taught.

The school wanted to make the presentation of the token a special moment for the students.

"What we really wanted to do was to create hype around reading and to get kids excited about these new titles that they can access," Schepens said.

She said the school had noticed with social media and video games, kids didn't have the same passion for books anymore. So school principal Kevin Jones came up with the vending machine idea. 

"He's very passionate about literature, and he wanted another creative way to instill that excitement around books for children," Schepens said. 

The books in the vending machine are chosen with the help of the school librarian and include a variety of picture books and novels for students from kindergarten to Grade 6.