Find your North Star: Defining Values for Change

Ottawa Jewish Community School, Canada

By rethinking their purpose and direction with us, this Ottawa school improved the experience of every student, increased engagement with the whole community, was more successful in fundraising and increased student numbers year-on-year.

Rethinking identity to unlock a new future

Too often, schools define themselves with a blur of clichés. OJCS knew it needed more than feel-good slogans—it needed purpose that worked hard. With NoTosh, they found it. Together, we sparked a transformation that resonated through classrooms, the boardroom, and—perhaps most surprisingly—fundraising campaigns.

Find your North Star: Defining Values for Change

Ottawa Jewish Community School, Canada

A co-designed purpose, grounded in tradition

OJCS plays a vital role in Ottawa’s Jewish community, with a long history of enriching lives through values-driven education. But as the world changed, so too did expectations. Rather than top-down decisions in a boardroom, school leaders chose a co-created path. With NoTosh guiding the process, a diverse Design Team of parents, teachers, and board members stepped forward to shape something real: a set of usable, visible core values. Six “North Stars”—concise, plain-English principles—now guide everything at OJCS, from pedagogy to professional conversations.

From sticky notes to strategy

We didn’t start with strategy documents. We started with people. Project Nest, a physical and digital hub, captured the voices of students, families, and staff. Design Team members synthesized those ideas into values that now shape classroom practice, strategic planning and culture. Once the North Stars were in place, we worked with school leaders to prototype solutions to priority issues. Every idea was tested for alignment with values. One of those ideas? A new strategic objective that became a beacon for change.

Living your values… even in a crisis

When COVID-19 hit, the North Stars weren’t forgotten. They lit the path for rapid, meaningful adaptation. From virtual lifecycle events to maintaining student engagement in new formats, the clarity of OJCS’s values made decisions quicker—and better. As one teacher shared, “Even the kids who struggled before are now begging to stay in for recess—because they’re so engaged.”

A new kind of confidence—for the community and its supporters

With a strong, community-owned purpose and a common language for action, the school’s story became easier to tell—and easier to support. In the years following this work, OJCS saw its highest levels of philanthropic funding in the school’s history. Donors weren’t just giving to a school; they were investing in a clear, ambitious, and community-owned mission.

Coaching leadership to sustain the change

Our final phase focused on embedding the change. Through coaching, tools and practical routines, school leaders built capacity to lead with values and act on strategy. Whether guiding a team meeting or launching a new project, OJCS leadership now has a playbook—and the confidence—to lead with clarity.

A mission that matters

Today, OJCS’s mission and core values isn’t a framed statement on a wall. It’s a decision-making compass, a teaching tool, and a magnet for support. It’s how they teach. It’s how they lead. And it’s why more people than ever want to be part of their story.

“The process was really inspirational. It taught me a lot about focussing more on process and making sure we understand why we’re doing certain things, that we have input from all stakeholders – especially our students – and that we can’t just be focussed on the product.” Grade 6/7/8 Social Studies Teachers & Student Life Coordinator

“The kids are now always motivated and so engaged in their learning. Even kids who had trouble focussing during normal lessons are now begging me to stay in for recess. I just wasn’t used to that and thought, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’”
Grade 3/4 General Studies Teacher