Small but mighty is a versatile phrase - one that could be perfectly used to describe the United Kingdom, an espresso shot, or SHINE: the education charity that I am in England to spend my summer working with. The scale of SHINE's impact is entirely disproportionate to the size of their team. 

Based in the North of England - a region profoundly affected by deprivation - SHINE has invested more than £40 million in educational innovations, particularly early-stage ideas by teachers looking to make a difference in the outcomes of children in their own communities. In the last year, SHINE supported almost 50,000 children with a hands-on approach to empowering educators and place-based school networks. I believe SHINE's impact can be attributed having a close-knit family at work - their passion flows quickly between them this way.

Due to the scale of their projects, each member of the team wears many hats of responsibilities - their common fabric being genuine care and commitment to the communities they work for. I am excited to see what hats I go home with in a month's time. I feel exceptionally lucky to be collaborating with such a welcoming group of people - since my arrival, they have introduced themselves as "we used to be 7, but now we are 8" because I am here. 

"Everything works somewhere, and nothing works everywhere"

The first thing I discovered upon arriving in England, with great pride, was that I am directionally challenged only in Toronto. Back home, I take the same routes every day to class and still get lost in the straight roads and two subway lines with the help of Google Maps. However, when it comes to navigating an airport in a new country, or making my way home through winding medieval streets that don't seem to be structured by any reference to cardinal directions, I feel like (or pretend to be) a local. In part, this is a result of the architecture - unique buildings ranging from the Roman to Victorian eras stand out at every turn in my mind.

My varying ability also maps onto the most powerful idea I heard this week - spoken by an innovator, the Director of the North East Learning Trust, whom I met at my first work event: "Everything works somewhere, and nothing works everywhere". Spoken with reference to designing meaningful education interventions, this is a lesson in humility and perseverance, acknowledging that any program can work very well for children under specifically suited conditions, but not at all under different ones.

I am taking this to heart as I iterate my project to uniquely suit the context of each school I work with, as well as SHINE's mission as an innovation-focused charity. As artificial intelligence (AI) brings untold changes, little-measured risks and countless new opportunities to the educational landscape, the questions and considerations on people's minds are constantly changing. With this, an adaptive and open-minded approach to research is critical. This is why my Leadership-in-Action project has been designed around in-person school visits, conversations with staff and teachers working on the ground and focus groups with K-12 students - in cities with some of the highest child poverty rates in England. These are voices too often excluded from policy conversations around AI and EdTech use, voices that can light the way for ethical and sustainable implementation of these tools that benefits the most vulnerable. 

Anticipated Challenges and Unanticipated Joys

I chose to live in York because it is equal parts distant from the two cities I will be splitting my time between: Leeds for the SHINE office and Middlesbrough to visit local schools. Being no stranger to daily commuting, I appreciate the opportunity to exist in this heart of British cultural and historical development. So far, I have had the chance to trace York's growth through its Viking era (866-954 AD) - which transformed it into a hub for international trade and craftsmanship at the time - by paying a visit to the Jorvik Viking Museum. 

On my first night here, I accidentally stumbled into the small, secluded, 11th-century Holy Trinity Church right as the travelling St Andrews Madrigal Group began their one and only show in York. What ensued was an hour of pure delight and fantasy that I had the honour of witnessing in candlelight.

My first week has been packed with serendipitous moments like this, including:

• Meeting many of SHINE's current grantees - incredibly creative and inspiring individuals - one originally a Canadian, much to our mutual delight!
• Walking through a classroom of Year 1 students during my first school visit, to be greeted by a swarm of hugs at the door, by pure souls excited to meet a visitor. 

So far, I have spent more time in surrounding cities for work than at my accommodation in York. A little nervous, riddled with imposter syndrome and sleep-deprivation, but more excited than all of those combined, I am so grateful for the fulfilling introduction and fascinating conversations this week brought with it. 

Things that remind me of home here:

1. The warmth of the people. We Canadians pride ourselves on being a very friendly and polite bunch, but people in the North of England are no exception to this. They have a similar practice of smiling and greeting passersby as if we are good friends. I am sure they don't know much it means to a girl living here for the first time - who feels instantly more welcomed and at ease while rushing from place to place. 
2. My morning commute. I initially thought it was quite strange that in England, you have to book a specific train time for both arrival and departure in advance. I now realize it's not much different than having to make a specific train to university in my suburban town, where they are few and far between. All in all, the countryside views here make it arguably easier than my 1.5-hour bumpy daily journey to university. 

Things that don't: 

1. "We meet once a fortnight" - My lovely coworkers letting me know the frequency of their team days in Leeds, which I now have the chance to be a part of. This took one Google search to understand and decide that it's now permanently part of my vocabulary (sounds much better than 'bi-weekly', innit?)
2. "You alright?" - This is apparently not a question of whether I am functioning soundly (I'm quite happy actually, thank you), but a standard greeting in Yorkshire! If you've read this far: y'alright?
3. Walkable cities - I've particularly enjoyed being able to walk across York (whether to the grocery store, local churches, restaurants or the train station) in 10-15 minutes. Most surreal was the journey from King's Cross Station in London to York in the North. If I'd stayed on the same train, I'd soon be in Scotland! A standard morning commute to the University of Toronto for me crosses half the country here.

When the sun rises on Week 2 tomorrow morning, I will make the journey to participate in my first official team day with SHINE and formally introduce our collaborative project. Though each member has welcomed me with open arms and excitement for the work I am here to do, which is well underway, I look forward to immersing myself once again.