Bookworm Vending Machine donated to San Juan Government Primary

The first-ever Bookworm Vending Machine, containing over 500 books, has been donated to the boys and girls of San Juan Government Primary School by Erica Jackman-Chavkin and her husband Melvyn Chavkin, under the Ministry of Education's Adopt-A-School Programme.

Jackman-Chavkin spoke at the handing-over of the machine at the San Juan Government Primary School on September 19.

She said books were the building blocks of knowledge which help foster critical thinking and empathy. The books in the machine are a mix of educational material and fiction.

"With this new book machine, we are opening the doors to countless stories, lessons and adventures, ensuring every student has access to the transformative magic of reading.

"Books have the power to transport us to different worlds, spark our creativity and shape our understanding of the world."

Both Jackman-Chavkin and her husband love investing in the dreams of children and plan to donate more book vending machines to schools.

Jackson-Chavkin, a former teacher, has a passion for reading and education. Her husband Melvyn is a US citizen and has been coming to TT for the last 25 years.

"I plan to put a machine in east, west, north, south and central Trinidad, as well as Tobago.

"The next school I'm looking at is Malabar Government Primary, then Edinburgh 500 (Government Primary School), Patna Government Primary School, and I will have to find a school in south."

Asked the criteria for picking a school, she said, "It is based on the needs of the school and where it will be more beneficial first."

She said the machine cost US$7,000 and hopes other corporate entities will come on board and sponsor machines, so they can be in every school.

The book "vending" machine will operate on a reward-based system, encouraging students to engage with books in a fun and meaningful way.

Both principals of the school Donna Thomas-Sealy (boys) and Shirley Jaggasar-Villafana (girls) have already established criteria for receiving a book dispensed by the machine.

Thomas-Sealy said, "It is based on academic achievement: when children perform well in weekly test or term test, they'll get access to a book.

"Also civic responsibility, doing something very good, sharing, caring, helping in any way
– they'll have the opportunity to get a book as well, because it is the fundamentals we need and want in society to produce good citizens."

The children do not need to pay for the books, as the principals have the keys and coins for the machine and will distribute the books based on their criteria.

Both Thomas-Sealy and Jaggasar-Villafana expressed their gratitude and elation at being the first school to have a book vending machine.

Jackman-Chavkin said the school has extra books to restock the machine when the first set is finished.

Minister in the Ministry of Education Lisa Morris-Julian as well as school supervisor for St George East Chris Metevier attended the handing-over ceremony.