1of5FILE - Janaya Sells, 7, reads a token-bought book on Sept. 26, 2019, during a ribbon cutting for an Inchy the Worm book vending machine at R.E. Stevenson Elementary School in Russellville, Ky. For decades, there has been a clash between two schools of thought on how to best teach children to read, with passionate backers on each side of the so-called reading wars. But the approach gaining momentum lately in American classrooms is the so-called science of reading. (Bac Totrong/Daily News via AP, File)Bac Totrong/AP

There's nothing quite like finding a perfect book.

Reading it and instantly knowing that it's going to be one of your favorites forever is such an exciting feeling. I can still remember to this day the books I picked up in elementary and middle school that fostered my own love of reading. They were stories I will forever cherish.

Being the local education reporter, it's been interesting for me over the past two years to learn how much schools have changed and in what ways they've stayed the same. I often find myself a tad jealous that students these days have access to programs and incentives that we could have only dreamed of back in the day (that day spanning from the mid-2000s to my high school graduation in 2017).

This is one of those times I'm jealous.

Not your mother's vending machine

When I saw a Facebook post from United Way of Beaumont and North Jefferson County about book vending machines coming to Beaumont ISD elementary campuses, I smiled. I just know this will be a fun, interactive way for children to develop reading habits and it's exciting that local students will have access to it.

United Way of Beaumont and Beaumont ISD are partnering to install brand new book vending machines across all district elementary campuses for the start of the 2023-24 school year in an effort to cultivate a love for reading.

It's a phenomenon that's spreading across the country, and even in other local districts. In fact, it was other schools' programs that inspired United Way to bring the idea to Beaumont, President and Chief Executive Officer Karyn Husbands told The Enterprise.

"United Way reached out to BISD late last year to present the idea and gather support from the administration," Husbands said in an email.

Now, it's Beaumont's turn to get in on the action.

"Each school will establish incentives intended to help the campus reach goals toward attendance, behavior, grades or another measure," Husbands said. "Students will be rewarded with tokens for meeting the goals and will use the tokens to choose a book from the vending machine."

The books are free to the students and they can bring them home and keep them, adding to their own personal libraries, she said.

United Way will purchase the 14 vending machines and the initial inventory of books for each machine, totaling 3,528 books.

"The machines hold 252 books each," Husbands said. "Community partners are needed to stock each vending machine on a monthly basis -- the cost for one vending machine is approximately $550. Partners can choose to sponsor the machines for any length of time and/or for multiple campuses."

But you don't have to be a community partner to help out. Individuals and companies can make a contribution to United Way to support the program, Husbands said, adding that through a collaboration with Scholastic, the organization is able to purchase the books at a reduced cost.

"United Way's focus is our local community and providing an opportunity for everyone to thrive," she said. "Through our focus in three areas -- financial stability, health and education, we hope to achieve our goal. This program aligns with United Way's focus on education and helping ensure that school-aged children are reading at grade appropriate levels and ultimately earning a high school diploma."

For more information on how to get involved or about sponsorships, call United Way at 409-835-4575.

I can't wait to see the elementary students start using these next school year!