In celebration of I Love to Read Month, North Star Credit Union (NSCU) staff along with Star the Yeti visited classrooms across the Iron Range.

They connected with students and encouraged a lifelong love of reading. This year’s outreach, held throughout February, made a record-breaking impact.

During the month, 11 staff members visited eight different schools and reached 1,517 students. The team collectively read 14 hours and 20 minutes, sparking smiles and meaningful discussions in 74 classrooms.

“This is one of our favorite community traditions,” said Jennifer Stedt, NSCU CEO. “We are not just reading books – we’re building relationships and planting seeds of curiosity. Kids light up when they hear the stories and it’s a joy to be a part of the moment.”

The annual outreach continues to grow. In 2024, the program reached 1,091 students. This year’s effort expanded significantly, thanks to the partnerships with the schools and a shared passion for reading.

“We love reading in the classrooms and seeing how the stories can bring people together,” said Rachel Indihar of NSCU, who coordinates the efforts. “It aligns with our mission of financial education that we are passionate about. We are thankful to the educators who welcome us into the school and celebrate reading.”

Star has written two books that were both read in the classroom. The first one is currently available on Amazon and the latest one will be out next month.