The core belief behind the Warrior Movement is that – given the right resources and coaching – Pittsburgh teens can be highly effective educators, mentors, leaders, and community advocates. While offered ongoing training and support, Warriors also exercise a great deal of freedom in designing after-school programs and advocacy projects in their communities.

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Reading Warriors

The Reading Warriors program serves as a bridge between the High School University (HSU) and K–5 Little Warriors programs. Through the Reading Warriors program, high school students are employed as mentors for more than 200 elementary students enrolled in the K–5 Little Warriors summer and afterschool programs. The program leverages high school mentors to demonstrate that reading is not just a skill to master, but a powerful way to explore, understand, and engage with the world. Reading Warriors aims to transform children’s literacy engagement, both in school and at home, through creative, hands-on activities inspired by the books students read and by encouraging elementary learners to actively pursue topics that spark their curiosity.

They also promote literacy in their communities by holding public displays of reading, learning about the public library system, and executing outreach projects to get their neighbors excited about reading.