UNMASTERS LEVEL CERTIFICATION

ADVANCE YOUR LEADERSHIP WITH OUR

This 10 month online learning (+2 month mentorship) certification program is designed for emerging leaders, intrapreneurs and career changers deeply passionate about making a positive impact through all that they do. We provide content and provocation to help you establish your facilitation and leadership skills. This program offers advanced training in the Disruptive Design Method and is perfect for people wanting to drive change within an organization or wanting to solidify their career as a leader in this space. This certification includes the full 12 module set of the Disruptive Design Method Masterclass, with additional unique content and activities.

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN FROM THIS PROGRAM

  • Advance your leadership skills in systems thinking, sustainability, design interventions and creative change making

  • Refine and establish your facilitation and communication skills for supporting organizational change towards a sustainable, regenerative and circular future

  • Master the entire Disruptive Design knowledge set and become skilled in applying the Disruptive Design Method

  • Activate your agency, expand your sphere of influence and develop your career as a creative change maker proactively effecting positive change out in the world around you

  • Access to a private LinkedIn group for all certification trackers to network, share, communicate and collaborate with each other and the UnSchool team

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Available for this course

Certificates are issued by the UnSchool (using third party certifier Accredible.com) upon successful and demonstrable completion of all course elements. Accredible uses bank-level encryption and blockchain logging to ensure legitimacy and verification, and offers easy to share credentials that you can receive as a downloadable PDF, share on LinkedIn and other digital platforms. Accredible also allows you to control your own data via their credential portal, accessible for free when you receive any certificates or badges.

Dr. Leyla Acaroglu

Instructor Bio:

Sustainability provocateur, award-winning designer, 2016 UNEP Champion of the Earth, and creative changemaker pioneer, Dr. Leyla Acaroglu challenges people to think differently about how the world works. As the founder of the UnSchool and creator of the Disruptive Design Method, Leyla weaves together her skills as a designer, sociologist, and social entrepreneur to create highly immersive educative experiences. She is a renowned international expert on systems thinking and sustainability, running workshops around the world and designing activating experiences, gamified toolkits, and unique educational experiences that help equip people with the tools to intervene and change systems to make the status quo obsolete. Sought after for her unique approach to activating positive social change by design, Leyla's main-stage TED talk on sustainability has been viewed over a million times, and she is the author of several handbooks, as well as an op ed contributor for major publications like the New York Times.

Dr. Leyla Acaroglu

UnSchool Founder + Global Change Maker

PROGRAM OUTLINE

THE 10 MONTH ONLINE UNMASTERS

  • 01

    WELCOME! Getting Started on the UnMasters Certification Track

  • 02

    Month 1: Thinking Differently

    • Introduction

    • Reflexive Thinking

    • Reflecting on Reflection

    • Reflexive Thinking Activity

    • Critical Thinking

    • Critical Thinking

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Flexible Thinking

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Learning Activity: Critical and Reflexive Thinking

    • Curiosity Mindset

    • Agency

    • Agency, Integrity and Personal Ethics

    • Learning Challenge: Agency Activity

    • Reflection
  • 03

    Month 2: The Disruptive Design Approach

    • DDM Introduction

    • The 3 Pillars: Systems, Sustainability and Design

    • Overview of the Disruptive Design Method

      FREE PREVIEW

    • The Full Intro to the Disruptive Design Method

    • Download the Disruptive Design Handbook

    • Applying the DDM

    • Applying the DDM

    • Learning Challenge: Applying the DDM

    • Reflection
  • 04

    Month 3: Sustainability & The Circular Economy

    • Sustainability Introduction

    • The full Sustainability class

    • Life Cycle Thinking

    • Life Cycle Thinking

    • From the Linear to the Circular Economy

    • Circular Economy

    • The Impact of our Actions

    • The Circular System Thinking E-book

    • Download the DIY Circular Systems Design Conversation Cards!

    • Download the Circular Systems Design Handbook

    • The UN Sustainable Development Goals

    • Learning Challenge: Sustainable Development Goals

    • Reflection
  • 05

    Month 4: Making Change

    • Make Change Introduction

    • What is Change?

    • Making Change

    • Making Change: Contemporary and Historical Theory of Change

    • The Power of Experiences

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Making Change: Drivers of Change

    • Forces for Change

    • Making Change: Your Brain on change

    • Making Change: How to Make Change

    • Download the Make Change Handbook

    • Framing Change Through Storytelling

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Learning Challenge: Making Change

    • A little story about change...

    • Ethics and Integrity

    • Integrity

    • Learning Activity: Integrity Activity

    • Reflection

  • 06

    Month 4: Systems Thinking

    • Systems Thinking Introduction

    • Thinking in Systems

    • Systems Mindset

    • Developing a Systems Mindset

    • Systems Thinking Full Class

    • Systems Dynamics

    • Feedback Loops

    • Systems Mapping

    • Systems Mapping

    • Systems Boundaries

    • Stocks and Flows

    • Systems Nodes

    • Systems Archetypes

    • Systems Archetypes

    • Learning Challenge: Activating Systems Thinking

    • Reflection

  • 07

    Month 5: Designing Change

    • Designing Change Introduction

    • Mastering Change

    • We are all Citizen Designers

    • Design and Creative Change

    • Circular Design

    • Sustainable Design: History of Sustainable Design

    • Sustainable Design: Sustainable Design Methods

    • Download the Design Play Cards

    • Sustainable Design: Circular Economy Connect

    • Sustainable Design: Case Studies

    • Sustainable Design: Design Practice Development

    • Learning Challenge: Sustainable and Circular Design

    • Checkout Our Circular Economy ReDesign Workshop Kit

    • Designing Interventions

    • Designing Systems Interventions

    • Systems Interventions: Leveraging Change

    • Systems Modelling Tools

    • Systems Interventions: Designing Systems Change

    • Learning Challenge: Systems Intervention Activity

    • Systems Interventions: Theory of Change

    • Theory of Change

    • Learning Challenge: Theory of Change

    • Systems Interventions: Tactics for Activating Change

    • Theory of Change Worksheet

    • Reflection

  • 08

    Month 6: Research and Problem Framing

    • Research Introduction

    • Doing Good Research

    • Research An Overview

    • How to Write a Good Research Question

    • Research: Types of Approaches

    • Action Research

    • Observational Research

    • Ethical Research and Participant Engagement

    • Research and Ethics

    • Research Planning

    • Change Based Research Practice

    • Learning Challenge: Respectful Research

    • Reflection

  • 09

    Month 6: Ethics and Empathy

    • Ethics & Empathy Introduction

    • Ethics Overview

    • What are Ethics?

    • Ethics is Everyday Life

    • What is Empathy?

    • On Empathy

    • Empathy vs Sympathy

    • Integrity and Ethics

    • Ethics and Empathy as Design Tools

    • Practical Ethics for Empathy Building

    • X-Mapping

    • Learning Challenge: Empathy Building X Map

    • Reflection
  • 10

    Month 7: Cognitive Sciences and Busting Bias

    • Cognitive Science Introduction

    • How does the Brain Work?

    • Shifting Mindsets

    • Do Humans Act Rationally?

    • Cognitive Science: The Rational Human?

    • Cognitive Dissonance

    • Cognitive Bias

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Introduction to Cognitive Bias

    • Cognitive Bias and the Brain

    • Cognitive Interventions

    • The Brain and Making Change

    • Implicit Bias

    • Recoding Bias

    • Checking Your Own Bias

    • Learning Challenge: Cognitive Bias

    • Social Influence and Change

    • Building Resilience

    • Reflection

    • Download the Tips Tricks To Facilitate Change handbook
  • 11

    Month 8: Gamification & Experience Design

    • Experience Design Introduction

    • Gamification

    • What is Gamification?

    • Game Theory and Human Strategy

    • Human Motivators and Experience Design

    • Mechanics and Mechanisms of Gamification

    • Designing gamified experiences that activate change

    • Learning Challenge: Gamification

    • Experience Design

    • Experience Design

    • Cognitive Experience Design

    • Learning Challenge: Experience Design

    • Reflection

  • 12

    Month 8: Collaborative Community Engagement

    • Collaborative Community Introduction

    • Community Engagement

    • Intrepreneurship

    • Collaboration

    • Co-Design Process

    • Active Citizenship

    • Learning Challenge: Co Design Process

    • Reflection
  • 13

    Month 9: Language, Communication and Influence

    • Language Introduction

    • Language and Influence

    • Visual Communication Design

    • Communication and Visual Design

    • Effective Language

    • The Power of Language

    • Seeing Language as System

    • Storytelling to Make Change

    • Tools for Enhancing Your Presentations

    • Learning Challenge: Communicating Change

    • Mastering Change

    • Reflection
  • 14

    Month 9: Ideation & Prototyping

    • Ideation and Prototyping Introduction

    • Ideation and Prototyping

    • Ideation and Creativity

    • Convergent vs Divergent Creative Thinking

    • Golden Rules of Ideation

    • Prototyping Change

    • Activating Ideation

    • Ideation and Prototyping Activity

    • Learning Challenge: Facilitating Creativity

    • Reflection
  • 15

    Month 10: Project Activation and Amplification

    • Project Activation Introduction

    • Project Activation

    • Getting Cool S**T done

    • How to get your projects off the ground

    • What to do when you get stuck

    • Project Planning

    • Project Amplification Design

    • the WOOP planning concept

    • Building Resilience

    • Designing and Implementing Change

    • Making Change in the World
  • 16

    Mentorship

    • Mentorship Introduction

    • Mentorship Application

    • Starting your UnSchool Mentorship

    • Peer Mentorship Support Kit

    • Getting the Most out of your Peer Mentoring

  • 17

    Final challenge

    • Challenge Submission Checklist

    • Final Challenge

    • Next Steps!

    • Certification Meeting

    • Feedback for the UnSchool
  • 18

    Mentorship Month 1

    • Mentorship Month 1

    • Week 1

    • Week 2

    • Week 3

    • Week 4
  • 19

    Mentorship Month 2

    • Mentorship Month 2

    • Week 1

    • Week 2

    • Week 3

    • Week 4

UNMASTERS CERTIFICATION TRACK

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN FROM THE

THE UNSCHOOL BUILDS LEADERS WHO HAVE TRANSFERABLE AND ESSENTIAL SKILL SETS FOR A CAREER IN CREATIVE CHANGE-MAKING

We designed the UnSchool UnMasters in Creative Change-Making because we believe that every organization should have a professional Change-Maker role as part of its core leadership team. Leaders with a creative systems thinking mindset to help transform old linear ways of thinking that prevent transformative change, with a sustainability focus to ensure longevity and ethics in programs and processes and reflexive, critical brain power to develop new solutions to tired problems that no longer work.

This program is designed for aspirational leaders who want to establish themselves as a creative force for positive impact. 

The UnMasters program is for emerging leaders, intrapreneurs and career changers who are deeply passionate about making a real and significant change either within an organization or in the world at large. 

This is a 10 month part-time online learning program that delivers monthly content around the Disruptive Design Method, agency development, facilitation, leadership, community engagement, systems thinking, reflexivity and positive impact. 

These 10 months are broken down into monthly knowledge acquisition sections around the core DDM knowledge bank and leadership development. There are then 2 months of dedicated mentorship to support your learning advancement and get you ready for your final certification challenge. 

Certification as an UnMasters give you the ability to demonstrate your commitment to creative change and your role as a leader in this space. 

You will have advanced communication, reflexivity, systems thinking and facilitation skills, supporting you in shifting to a career in positive impact or further developing your role in this space. 



WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE UNSCHOOL PROGRAMS

“The fellowship is not only a program to put methods and ideas into your brain, but also a unique program that makes you believe in the power of disruptive design and sustainability by your heart, and especially in yourself to make the change.”

Nihan Ozturk

“To find a way to express ideas about sustainability, systems thinking, and creative disruption in concrete, tangible and accessible ways. Through the weeklong fellowship, I developed this capacity – both through the integrity of the content, and through learning by doing, to find my own voice.”

Isabel Sarasvati

“The Disruptive Design workshop far exceeded my expectations. The content has given me a practical way to delve into complex problems, exploring thinking far beyond my normal lines of inquiry, and to surface new areas for intervention and innovative ways of designing those interventions. Everyone who is tackling systems should learn this.”

Catriona McLagan

FAQ

  • WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT AND FORMAT OF THIS TRACK?

    The UnMasters Certification Track is 8 months of content delivered online every 30 days. It is self-directed learning with video, text, activities and multiple learning challenges for real world practice. After the completion of 8 months online, there is a 2 month mentorship with an UnSchool mentor, with a weekly 1hr sessions. You will have 6 months to apply for certification after the program ends, with a final challenge and certification meeting with the UnSchool panel.

  • WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNMASTERS AND EDUCATOR?

    The UnMasters track is perfect for professionals already making change, or intrapreneurs. It’s designed for anyone making a transition in their career, or working internally within organisations to facilitate change. It’s kind of like a fast track to a Masters degree, and is designed to help facilitate change, design interventions, and work with your community. The Educator track is designed to support leaders in facilitation, using the unique UnSchool pedagogy and approach. This track is all about experience design, gamification, human interaction, and applying concepts in an educational setting. There is the added opportunity to be commissioned by the UnSchool once you have gained certification, to lead or co-lead UnSchool workshops and programs.

  • WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT IS OFFERED?

    This is self directed learning, but you can always sign up for additional office hours to get one on one time with our UnSchool educators to support your learning process, and the required mentorship program is a great way to get extra support.

  • CAN I GET A SAMPLE OF THE CONTENT?

    Yes! Check out the modules to get some sample content. We also offer a 25-day money back guarantee, no questions asked. If you don't think it's right for you then we will refund your first month's payment if you let us know within 25 days. Please read the terms and conditions carefully.

  • WHAT KIND OF CERTIFICATION IS PROVIDED?

    We offer the certification to demonstrate you have completed our UnMasters program and demonstrated a high level of capabilities in the Disruptive Design Method and activating systems-level change. Certification is only awarded once you complete the online program, challenges, process journal, points, and demonstrate your capabilities in a final certification meeting. You will then be awarded a certificate demonstrating your certification with the UnSchool. Please review the full terms and conditions for more details.

  • CAN I TALK TO AN EDUCATIONAL ADVISOR?

    Yes, you can book a 30min call with a real human if you would like more details about this or any other program. Click on the Contact Us link in the footer to schedule a call.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

EQUITY ACCESS PROGRAM

FIND OUT IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR OUR

FIND OUT MORE

ADVANCED TRAINING PROGRAMS

CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR