STEAM Tutor / Mentor for 5-Year-Old

Schedule: Flexible; ideally 1–2 sessions per week. Between 4pm-6pm

Format: In-person

We are looking for an exceptional Science & Engineering Tutor / Mentor to work with our 5-year-old son, who has a strong natural curiosity about how things work and is particularly fascinated by science, robotics, engineering, machines and building things.

This is not a traditional tutoring role. We are looking for someone who can spark his curiosity, introduce him to the world of science and engineering, and turn his questions and ideas into hands-on projects.

He is fascinated by the idea of building a submarine. We would love for this to become his first engineering project; not for the tutor to build it for him, but for the tutor to teach and guide him through the process of designing and building a simple, child-friendly model/toy submarine himself.

What we are looking for

Someone who can introduce a young child to a broad range of STEM concepts through play, experimentation, building and real-world projects.

The ideal tutor would be able to explore topics such as:

• Physics; especially buoyancy, floating/sinking, pressure, forces and motion
• Engineering and mechanical principles
• Robotics and simple machines
• Electronics and basic circuits
• Materials and how different materials behave
• Chemistry and simple, safe experiments
• Biology and the natural sciences
• Space, oceans and exploration
• Problem-solving, design thinking and experimentation

The emphasis should be on learning by doing rather than worksheets or memorisation.

The first project: Build a submarine

We would love the tutor to take his idea seriously and turn it into a genuine mini engineering challenge.

For example, the tutor could guide him through questions such as:

Why does a submarine float Why does it sink How can we make it come back up What makes it move How can we control it What materials should we use

Together, they could research, design, experiment, build, test, fail, modify and eventually create a simple working model.

The goal isn't to produce a perfect submarine; the goal is for him to experience the engineering process himself.

From there, we would love the tutor to develop a series of projects based on his interests and gradually introduce increasingly sophisticated concepts.

The person we're looking for

You might be:

• An engineer, scientist, robotics specialist, STEM educator or maker
• A university student or graduate in engineering/science with excellent experience working with young children
• A teacher who specialises in hands-on STEM education
• Someone with experience in robotics clubs, makerspaces, LEGO robotics, Arduino, simple electronics or engineering projects
• Or simply an exceptionally curious person with a strong STEM background and a talent for inspiring children

Formal teaching qualifications are a plus, but they are not the most important thing.

What matters most is that you genuinely enjoy working with young children and can make complex ideas fascinating and accessible to a 5-year-old.

Personality is very important

We are looking for someone who is:

• Curious and enthusiastic
• Patient and playful
• Creative and resourceful
• Excellent at explaining concepts to young children
• Comfortable allowing a child to experiment and make mistakes
• Able to follow a child's interests rather than rigidly following a curriculum
• Excited by questions like But why and What would happen if...
• More interested in developing a young scientist's mindset than simply teaching facts

We would particularly value someone who can say:

I don't know. Let's figure it out.What success looks like

We want to nurture his natural curiosity and help him develop the confidence to ask questions, form hypotheses, experiment, build things, solve problems and keep trying when something doesn't work.

If you are passionate about science, engineering and helping children discover how the world works, we'd love to hear from you.

Please tell us a little about your background, your experience working with children, and one or two examples of hands-on STEM projects you could imagine doing with a curious 5-year-old.