Charles Rice Learning Center celebrated the unveiling of a new book vending machine, made possible through a partnership between the Dallas Stars Foundation and the Dallas Education Foundation.
The initiative aims to advance literacy by providing students with free books to build their personal libraries at home.
“Reading opens the doors to so many opportunities for our students, and so we want students to have books to take home, not just to have at school, but to develop a love of reading,” said Kellie Paris, Charles Rice principal. “We want them to have their books.”
Members of the Dallas Stars organization joined the school community to celebrate the unveiling, which highlights the importance of reading and how having access to more books at home can significantly benefit students. The vending machine offers a variety of books, including sports novels and comic books, which students can “purchase” using special tokens provided by the school.
During the event, fourth-and fifth-grade students had the chance to use the vending machine, eagerly exchanging their tokens for brand-new books. To add to the excitement, students also received Dallas Stars T-shirts and participated in a game of ball hockey with the Stars team members.
The book vending machine is part of a larger effort to support literacy and foster a love of learning among young students, ensuring they have access to reading materials both in school and at home.
