Written by Aileen C., Dallas Education Foundation Social Media and Marketing Intern
On a seemingly normal morning in October, Celestino Mauricio Soto Jr. Elementary School was bustling with energy and excitement. By the doors of the campus, colorful balloon decorations surrounded a mysterious blue box–a book vending machine.
With support from the GPD Group Employees’ Foundation, Dallas Education Foundation is one step closer to ensuring every Dallas ISD student has equitable access to books that spark imagination and inspire learning.
Evan Wells “The Dallas Education Foundation and the GPD Kids Foundation are all about improving the lives of children, enriching their K-12 experience, and giving them a brighter future,” said Evan Wells, of GDP Group Employees’ Foundation. “What better way to do that than giving them access to books? The vending machine was perfect.”
Norma Barragan, principal at Celestino Soto Elementary, is excited for the learning opportunities the new machine will give her students. “This vending machine symbolizes not just the accessibility to brand new books, but also our commitment to encouraging the love of reading,” she said.
Genissis Rangel, an educator at the elementary school, acknowledges the significance of being able to bring the free books home.
“This is something our kids really needed,” she said. “It brings our families together because they get to take the books home and read with their family.”
The Dallas Education Foundation utilizes key partners, Cristal Jackson, Director of Early Learning, and Patricia Alvarado-Barnes, to choose books for the machine that are relevant to students’ cultural backgrounds and the languages they speak at home. By including a wide range of books in the vending machine, every student can find something they like and want to take home. Giving students the opportunity to pick out their own book helps foster their love for reading and boosts their sense of ownership over what they’re learning.
