Toyota Mississippi put reading at students’ fingertips after donating custom, fully stocked book vending machines to 21 local elementary schools.

The plant partnered with Reading for Education to design and deliver the machines, each stocked with 176 books and accompanied by a sack of special gold tokens.

Shannon Elementary School
The first vending machine was delivered to Shannon Elementary School in Shannon, Mississippi, in December.

Five students with good grades and demonstrated positive behavior were first in line to use the machine and given their very own book to keep. Toyota Mississippi also announced a $2,000 donation to the school.

“A love for reading and education is a great starting point for students as they prepare for a lifetime of success,” said Erik Skaggs, president of Toyota Mississippi. “Helping our communities build a solid foundation in youth literacy is a key part of our mission at Toyota.”

Book Project Supports Students
Each school has an online book rewards account to help raise money for future purchases and keep the machines stocked through donations, items for purchase and book drives.

What’s more, the numbers for this project add up. Twenty-one machines with 176 books each totaled 3,696 books. Spread across three counties, the project has the potential to impact roughly 10,754 students just this year, with limitless possibilities to come.