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Lily Newell

Almost half an hour until the ribbon cutting of the vending machine, fourth grader Clara Caudillo stops and gazes at all the books it contains. On Feb. 13, students and staff got the chance to see the vending machine in all its entirety. The machine has been at Landis Elementary for a couple of weeks, and students have been on the edge of their seats wanting to know how the machine works and how to use it. “We ordered our machine in November, and it was brought to Logansport right before Christmas break,” Long said. “This was definitely a process and took several different people to make this happen. We are so grateful for them. Ellen and I are especially grateful for our administration, who supported our idea and did everything they could to make this idea a reality.”

Landis Elementary received a $2,000 grant from the Logansport High School Alumni Association. The school utilized the grant by buying a book vending machine for its students. Second-grade teacher Courtney Long and first-grade teacher Ellen Engelhardt were the ones behind the idea of Landis owning a book vending machine.

“Ellen Englehardt and I, who are PTO co-presidents, have had a goal to find something that would benefit all students at Landis as well as be around for a long time,” Long said. “We’ve done several small things, but were ready for some that would make a big impact. While scrolling through Facebook one day, I saw a post about a book vending machine. I knew that it was exactly what we were looking for.”

The Logansport High School Alumni Association brought the teachers’ idea to life. Now students at Landis Elementary can be awarded the use of the booking machine by being well-rounded students to their teachers and classmates. Anyone who has gone to Logansport High School or is friends with Logansport Community School Corporation (LCSC) can join the LHS Alumni Association. The association has been running since 2020 and is open to new members joining. The association exists to help present and future LHS graduates and friends of LCSC. Becoming a member opens educational opportunities for students and staff in LCSC.