Amarillo College Brings Police And Literacy Together For Kids

There are so many different issues we have in the country these days. However, they always say there's something good that comes out of a bad situation, right?

Well that is exactly what is happening here in Amarillo, and it couldn't make me more proud to live here.

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A new program called Books and Badges has been introduced and I love everything about it.

One of the biggest problems we see with kids these days is literacy and not being able to read. It's a difficult thing for children because they feel like they're being judged unfairly. I don't blame them, and it breaks my heart when it happens.

Another issue anywhere you go is people trusting police these days. It's primarily adults that have the issue with them, but the kids hear about it and they don't get a real chance to know just how nice they can be and how important they are.

This program brings these two problems together. An officer comes to the classroom, reads a book to them and gives each student their own copy of the book with a handwritten note inside it.

Officer Morice Jackson of Amarillo College told Channel 10, “They can escape into their own world, their own dimension and create you know endless possibilities from reading, so what reading has done for me, I wanna do it for someone else. At least give them the tools that they need to start their own adventure.”

Amarillo College police officers are more than happy to come read in your classroom. If you'd like for them to do that, just reach out at 806-371-5163.