There are few sounds more encouraging inside an elementary school than the excitement of children discovering a brand-new book. At Lowry Elementary, that excitement now gathers regularly around something unusual and remarkably effective: a real book vending machine.

In May, Lowry United Neighborhoods donated 110 brand-new books to help stock the machine as part of a growing partnership between LUN and the school. Joining the visit were Principal Annie Larkin and Community Coordinator Courtney Riordon who shared just how meaningful the program has become for students across the school.

The concept is simple, but the impact is significant. Students earn tokens through attendance, part of the school’s effort to encourage consistent classroom participation and build strong habits early. Those tokens can then be used in the book vending machine, where students select a book of their own to keep. For many children, particularly in elementary school, ownership creates a deeper connection to reading. A brand-new book becomes something personal, something they chose themselves, something they can take home proudly and return to again and again.

The school’s goal is ambitious in the best possible way: ensuring that every child at Lowry Elementary receives at least one new book each year through the program. With approximately 400 students attending the school, keeping the machine stocked requires ongoing community support. And according to staff, students absolutely love it. When new books are loaded into the machine during lunch periods, children reportedly swarm around it to see what has arrived. The anticipation resembles the excitement of a product launch or a prize reveal, except what they are eagerly waiting for are books.

That kind of enthusiasm around reading is difficult to manufacture artificially. It happens when programs are thoughtful, tangible, and centered around the students themselves. What makes the initiative especially compelling is that it reaches every age group within the school. Younger students experience the excitement of choosing their first books independently, while older students begin developing reading preferences and ownership over their interests. The machine turns reading into an experience rather than an assignment.

The donation from LUN reflects a broader belief that strong schools and strong neighborhoods are deeply interconnected. Supporting literacy, attendance, and student engagement is not separate from community building. It is community building, in fact. Partnerships like this also demonstrate how practical, local action can create meaningful outcomes. One hundred and ten books may seem modest on paper, but in the hands of students, they become opportunities: opportunities to learn, imagine, improve confidence, and develop lifelong habits. Most importantly, they become a source of excitement.

LUN is proud to support Lowry Elementary and grateful to the educators and staff who continue finding creative ways to encourage learning, attendance, and student success. The organization looks forward to continuing its partnership with the school in ways that directly strengthen both students and the broader Lowry community.

Thanks to our LUN Board Member Olivia Merrill, who not only wrote this article but also organized this event at Lowry Elementary as part of LUN’s Alliance Program. Olivia is also a Denver Realtor with Team Denver Homes of LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.