Joshua Smith
Founder
I started college at 14.
I started college at 14 and began full-time engineering coursework at 15. I built Northbound to give other students the same kind of opportunity: the chance to move faster, think deeper, and grow past what a grade level normally expects of them.
What got me there was not talent or luck. It was the ability to solve unfamiliar problems and think critically, which made it easy to do advanced coursework, and tackle and big academic challenges with confidence.
That method has a name now. FGS: find, given, solve. Define what you are actually solving for, name what you have been given, then build the path between them. Students learn to constantly challenege their processes and think through various angles for how problems can be solved. What results is a student who questions their thinking and confidently solves unfamiliar problems.
The program
One program. Built around your child.
Private 1-on-1 coaching designed to move a capable student toward advanced work faster than school alone will. Every advancement plan starts by identifying gaps in your child’s understanding, so we can develop progress in knowledge, confidence, and reasoning skills as we work towards your family’s goals.
1-on-1 Coaching
Clarity Report and Mastery Blueprint
A diagnostic that shows where understanding is solid, where it breaks down, and what to work on first.
Weekly 60-minute private sessions
Live coaching on Zoom, built around conceptual depth and problem-solving fluency.
Curated daily problem sets
Under 15 minutes a day, spaced deliberately so the work actually consolidates.
Reasoning and confidence tracking
Your child logs confidence on every problem. We track reasoning and mastery alongside it.
Monthly parent briefing
Thirty minutes on where your child is and how their thinking has moved in four weeks.
Priority email support
Direct access between sessions when your child gets stuck and needs a nudge.
How it starts
01
Book your review call
A short form about your student, and you pick a call time on the spot.
02
Complete the diagnostic
Your child completes a 45-minute diagnostic in a virtual meeting.
03
Review the results together
On the review call, we walk through what showed up and whether coaching is a good fit.
Program fit and pricing are matched to your child on the review call.
Results
The method was working before the program had a name.
“I enjoyed his push to challenge me, which helped me enhance my study habits.”
Student
Rising 6th grade
“He made learning math fun. Super patient. Super professional.”
Parent
Elementary student
“Joshua does a great job of balancing the student learning needs and challenging them with new material.”
Parent
Middle school student
What that has looked like
A 7th grader moved from standard placement into honors mathematics.
An 8th grader prepared for private high school geometry in a focused summer intensive.
Elementary students solving problems two grade levels ahead within targeted concepts.
Find out what your child is actually ready for.
Start with the Clarity Report if you want the diagnostic first, or talk to me directly if you would rather ask questions before your child does anything.
We’ll be in touch within 24 hours.
We re-run the Clarity Report after 8 weeks. If your child’s score has not improved, coaching continues at no additional charge until it does.