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True North works with a range of organisations and individuals to make a difference wherever and however we can.

Read below to see just a few of the ways in which we have helped institutions and individuals with creative, practical and evidence-based approaches.

Emissions and Impact Reporting for geNEOus (USA)

The challenge was establish a baseline measurement of Scope 3 emissions (geNEOus are remote first), and social impact reporting for this bespoke Education Marketing Consultancy.

geNEOus are a purpose-first organisation, who wanted to show real leadership in a sector where it is unusual for small SMEs to report their own emissions and impact.

The aim was to establish that baseline but also to set targets and open the conversation with peers in the sector; inspiring them to follow suit.

To provide a solution, True North carried out a project to

-Measure geNEOus’ scope 3 emissions and identify opportunities and specific actions for reduction

-Establish a framework for impact reporting that included all key stakeholders

You can learn more about geNEOus and and download the report by clicking the logo below

 

Curriculum Mapping and UK Market Entry Strategy- Codiplay (Kazakhstan)

The challenge was to build on the remarkable success of Codiplay  – a Coding For Good product – and support their entry to the UK education sector.

To provide a solution, True North carried out a project to

-Map Codiplay’s learning progression routes to England’s KS2-4, and the PYP and IB Programmes

-Align the coding outcomes with themes and projects within sustainability (Smart Cities, energy efficiency etc.)

-Conduct a peer analysis to produce clear messaging and highlight USPs which were relevant to the needs of UK teachers and school leaders.

-meet School leaders on Codiplay’s behalf to better understand the right approach

 

To find out more about Codiplay, click the logo below.

 

 

SDG mapping and Strategy Repositioning- Aga Khan Foundation

The challenge is that the Aga Khan Foundation’s online Learning Hub platform has huge potential to reach a wider audience with its excellent learning material. Beyond those working in Civil Society Organisations, there is a huge range of educators looking for materials to embed in their learning pathways with students, connected to the SDGs and to themes such as Global Citizenship, DEI and many others.

To provide a solution, True North carried out an extensive SDG mapping exercise to link every document, video, course or webinar to explicit and implicit SDG connections. In partnership with the foundation, this was made visible and searchable on the Learning Hub. The next phase was to develop internal and external communications strategies and content to reach these new potential users. To do so, we partnered with our colleagues at GeNEOus to provide extensive marketing consultancy support. 

In addition, we developed 

-A Theory of Change to support impact research and partnerships

-A range of partnership agreements in the public and private sector to host the organisation’s learning resources

-A shortlist of awards and accolades that fit the brand, as well as the communication assets to support the application

 To visit the Aga Khan Foundation’s Excellent Learning Hub, click the logo below.

 

Introducing: The Learning Hub - Aga Khan Foundation UK

 

Capacity building- Sustainability in the FE institution - Yorkshire SDF Partnership, UK

The challenge here is that most FE institutions in the UK are embarking on a huge shift to meeting net zero targets, and that the focus has largely been on building and estates emissions reduction, such as retrofitting and HVAC system upgrades. Less attention has been given to the learning and development that supports and drives the cultural change needed to make these initiatives work, and also to attract and empower a new generation of educators and learners.

In 2023, we worked with the colleges of Harrogate, York, Scarborough, Askham Bryan, Darlington, Wakefield and Shipley, on an SDF-funded project to build ESD capacity in each institution as a solution to this challenge.  We provided a range of services, including workshops on embedding sustainability in the curriculum, measuring and reducing scope 1-3 emissions, understanding the EUAC roadmap in the context of institutional strategy, and even working with new teachers on the pedagogical strategies that best support transformative change.

Our channels of communication remain open with our FE partners as we build a network of knowledge and contact sharing to support other institutions on their journey to net zero.

 

Authoring of accredited sustainability courses - Skills Network (UK)

The challenge was to create a range of engaging sustainability courses at level 2 and level 4 (RQF) which could also function as standalone learning units. 

These courses ranged from carbon calculation for businesses to sustainability for education institutions and learning design. 

To provide a solution, True North worked with a range of colleagues and partners to get the most practical sense of what mattered to both businesses and educators in terms of sustainability.

Over 18 months, we wrote and delivered the following courses:

  • Understanding Environmental Sustainability (Level 2)
  • Sustainability in the construction industry (Level 2)
  • Carbon calculation and reduction (Level 2)
  • Sustainability in the food & drink industry (Level 2)
  • Sustainability in the personal care sector (Level 2)
  • Sustainability in digital business (Level 2)
  • Sustainability in business boot camp (Level 2 nationwide government programme)
  • Education for Sustainable Development (Level 4)
  • Teaching and learning for sustainable development (Level 4)
  • Carbon calculation and reduction (Level 4)

in 2023 we also developed a range of additional courses for this client around the field of Project Management.

To visit the Skills Network’s range of sustainability courses, click the logo below.

 

skills network UK logo

 

Content writing for geNEOus, USA

geNEOus is a quickly growing, innovative company, which is making waves in the world of Education Marketing. Based in the US, with an international team spanning Spain to Mexico, geNEOus are experts in Marketing and recruitment for modern institutions in secondary, further and higher education.

The challenge was to provide weekly Search Engine optimized content to help build geNEOus’ presence in the sphere of education and to generate traffic to their website. We have since become content writers for a range of geNEOus clients, from K12 schools in Spain to Universities in Switzerland.

We expanded the offer to include a weekly podcast, where we discuss issues such as community building, wellbeing in education, methodology and EdTech with experts and influencers from around the world. You can see them all here

True north provided the solution by producing content on a range of topics around the future of education, and continues to do so. With a passionate interest in innovative education, we have found that we share a common outlook with geNEOus , and it is a real pleasure to research and produce articles on the future of Higher Education and where the next generation might take us.

Click the logo to find out more about geNEOus . 

geneous world logo

Assessment design for Columba 1400 Head teacher's Leadership Academy, Scotland

Columba 1400 is a pioneering leadership academy, social enterprise and charity, based in the highlands of Scotland. Their HTLA enables school head teachers to shape educational change and transform the culture of their schools and learning communities.

The challenge was to redesign the reflective assessment process to ensure a greater clarity for participants, and also a systematic criterion-referenced grading structure to allow assessors to make valid judgments. This would ensure effective quality control in line with General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) standards.

True north provided the solution by reworking the participant guide to break down in more detail what effective reflection really looked like at a sentential level, and the kinds of evidence that could be provided to support this. Samples around the critical boundary were developed, and accompanied by a narrative that explained  in detail the aspects of the papers which fit the criterion descriptors for pass or needs improvement. The assessor guide was a mirror of this; ensuring that the grading system was transparent and fair. In addition we now participate as external assessors to objectively oversee the implementation of this new system  and support new tutors in its delivery.

Click the logo to find out more about Columba 1400

Columba 1400.

Redesign of assessment system in ESEI Business School, Spain

ESEI Business School has grown exponentially in the last three years up to 2018; having more than quadrupled their number of masters students.

The challenge was to restructure the assessment system, to balance the need to keep costs down (and minimise the impact on fees) but ensure a coherent assessment standard in a school which has quickly grown.

True north provided an efficient solution. We designed and implemented the module lead system, ensuring all module tutors gave qualitative feedback on different aspects of the assessments, but that one specialised module lead would be trained in the new grading system and would award the overall grade. This allows ESEI to maintain quality control with a small group of specialists who are able to follow the new and extensive grading rubric, whilst including the feedback of others in the process, including the peer assessment delivered by students.

In addition, True North continued to oversee the system externally for the academic year 2018-19, to ensure that the same standards were applied across all the masters programme; delivering top-up training in norming and standardization where required and forming a key link in the flow of information and feedback between school administrators, personal academic tutors module leads, students and external accreditation bodies.

Click the logo to find out more about ESEI Business School.

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Student support and quality management at ESEI Business School, Spain

ESEI Business School strives to consistently offer high-quality Bachelor and Masters level education at a price which is accessible to most.

The challenge was to balance affordable tuition fees this with the need to maintain high quality standards and personal student attention. Masters students receive great classes on campus but, being millenials, they often needed more feedback than the professors had time to provide. Feedback was also somewhat fragmented, as different professors and tutors focused on different elements of students’ work, making it more difficut for them to develop sequentially in their analytical and research skills.

True north provided a two-tier creative solution. We designed training workshops delivered on campus for the start of term in giving and receiving feedback across cultures, and collaboratively built a rubric for peer assessing each others’ written work. The peer asessment rubric was easy to use, and was a simplified version of the rubric used by tutors to grade module assessments and also the thesis project. At the end of each module, students assess a different peer each time, grading their work using an simple online scoring system, and providing written feedback on their work. The feedback is monitored by our specialists, who provide advice and support where needed, and track the quality of the feedback to feed in to the student participation grade at the end of term. Students use critical thinking and soft skills throughout this process, internalising not only a deeper understanding of the hallmarks of good academic research writing, but also the different ways in which peers approach the same tasks. With a little support and the right setup, this system runs itself and is highly valued by both staff and students, providing huge cost savings and adding enormous value to the student experience.

In addition, True North specialists provide ESEI with the Personal Academic Tutor system, giving students individual feedback on every assignment, every step of the way. The class professors feed in with short comments on the student’s grasp of content, and we do the rest, tracking their performance all year, and providing insights on how they might develop their research and academic writing skills before beginning their thesis. Using institutional rubrics, we set the initial grades, taking into account the feedback from the peer assessment process, ensuring a normed and standardized grading system which is trusted by both staff and students. In smaller institutions which do not have exclusive tenured professors, this system ensures coherence in the student support system throughout their journey, and enhanced learning experience at vastly reduced costs.

Click the logo to find out more about ESEI Business School.

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Teacher Development Training at Sumy State University (SSU), Ukraine

Sumy State University (SSU), is located in Sumy city in the North-East of Ukraine. SSU is a leading university of a classical type , currently serving more than 16,000 students who are pursuing pre bachelor, bachelor, specialist and master degrees in 46 majors and 22 fields of knowledge

The challenge was to assist the professors in improving their mastery of English as a Medium of Instruction, combined with development in lecturing techniques based on the latest research from the fields of educational psychology and neuroscience. The combined approach produced our series of workshops in Neuroinformed Lecturing for Higher Education Professionals.

True north provided selected professors at SSU with an efficient solution, based around initial workshops and reading material, and extending to observation based professional development sessions. After the initial training had been delivered on campus, professors began with a series of recommended articles, discussing their insights and reflections online with input from our specialists. They then proceeded to record 30-minute segments of key stages in their lectures or classes, uploading the files for their peers to comment on, and receiving personalised feedback from True North. 

This programme is available to any institution wishing to bring its teaching standards in line with the EU 2020 targets for Higher Education, for professors who wish to improve their teaching, or to assist with English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) development in your faculty.

Click the logo to find out more about Sumy State University

Public speaking skills workshops for IES Leonardo Da Vinci, Spain

IES Leonardo Da Vinci is a public high school, located in Catalunya, Spain.

Each year, graduating students must present a research project to the panel, and the grade for this significantly affects their range of choices for university studies.  Students receive a great deal of support in the content of this project, but needed help and support with the delivery.

The challenge was to provide a series of workshops on public speaking at short notice, which would be accessible to high school students, and practical enough to help them improve immediately.

The solution we provided was a series of four intensive workshops, which focused primarily on using verbal and non-verbal techniques to control and redirect nervous energy. Students experimented with different techniques to find their own styles, and worked on storytelling and structuring techniques to complete the picture. 

Click the logo to find out more about IES Leonardo Da Vinci

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