The Springfield Armor are proud to be entering their third year running their acclaimed 'Read to Achieve' program in elementary and middle schools in Western Mass. and Northern Conn. The program was developed by the NBA as one of its key community relations initiatives and has been implemented in NBA D-League markets across the country.

The Armor’s Read to Achieve Program was launched just prior to the 2010-11 season, with 15 are elementary and middle school and nearly 6,000 students enrolled. This past year, the Armor’s Read to Achieve program experienced tremendous growth, with 39 area elementary and middle schools and more than 12,000 students enrolled.

The program, which is free to all participating schools, is an incentive-based program that takes place over the course of four weeks and runs parallel to each school’s unique curriculum. The program begins with an assembly at each school featuring Steal, the Armor mascot, and Armor front staff office members. The assembly is intended to excite students about the program and provide basic information to all participants, teachers and administrators.

At the conclusion of each week of the program, students who meet or exceed their reading goals are delivered prizes courtesy of the Armor’s corporate partners. The grand prize for students who complete the four-week program is a FREE ticket to a Springfield Armor home game! All participating teachers and administrators are also able to attend the game with their students free of charge.

At the game, the students are recognized in a pre-game on-court parade for all the hard work that enabled them to graduate from the Armor’s Read to Achieve program. This past year, the Armor had fun themes prepared for each 'Read to Achieve' game, including 'Superheroes Night', 'Steal's Birthday Bash' and 'Fan Appreciation Night'. The game experience is the culmination of four weeks of hard work by the students and teachers alike in a family friendly atmosphere at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield!

If you are an educator, parent facilitator or PTA member interested in learning more about the program, please call the Armor office at (413) 746-3263 or email Armor@ArmorHoops.com with the subject line "Read to Achieve".

To view scenes from the Armor's 2011-12 Read to Achieve program, click here.

To read more about the program, click here (MassLive) and for additional photo galleries, click here (Enfield Patch) and here (Windsor Patch).