Pages, Pucks, and Purpose: The Story Behind Reading Champions
July 31, 2025
In this episode of Steel Stories, we shine a spotlight on Reading Champions, a powerful partnership between U. S. Steel, the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, and local school districts that is built around a simple idea: that reading just 20 minutes a day (the length of a hockey period) can change a child’s future. Reading Champions motivates third graders to develop a lifelong love of reading and with levels like Rookie, First Line, and MVP, the program combines classroom teamwork, personalized incentives, and hometown hockey pride to fuel literacy gains.
In this episode of Steel Stories, we shine a spotlight on Reading Champions, a powerful partnership between U. S. Steel, the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, and local school districts that is built around a simple idea: that reading just 20 minutes a day (the length of a hockey period) can change a child’s future. Reading Champions motivates third graders to develop a lifelong love of reading and with levels like Rookie, First Line, and MVP, the program combines classroom teamwork, personalized incentives, and hometown hockey pride to fuel literacy gains.
Since launching in 2021, students have logged more than 1.8 million minutes of reading and the data shows real growth in test scores, confidence, and classroom engagement. As the program expands into new regions, one thing remains clear: every page counts.
Guests include:
- Heidi Chappell – Senior Director of Community Engagement, U. S. Steel
- Darya Snoznik – Senior Manager, Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation
- Dr. Eddie Willson – Assistant to the Superintendent, Woodland Hills School District
Together, they share the vision, partnership, and student impact behind a program that’s rewriting the story on literacy—one classroom at a time.
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