STEAM Tutor / Mentor for 5-Year-Old

Schedule: Flexible; ideally 1–2 sessions per week. Between 4pm-6pmFormat: 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 forSomeone 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 motionEngineering and mechanical principlesRobotics and simple machinesElectronics and basic circuitsMaterials and how different materials behaveChemistry and simple, safe experimentsBiology and the natural sciencesSpace, oceans and explorationProblem-solving, design thinking and experimentationThe emphasis should be on learning by doing rather than worksheets or memorisation.The first project: Build a submarineWe 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 forYou might be:An engineer, scientist, robotics specialist, STEM educator or makerA university student or graduate in engineering/science with excellent experience working with young childrenA teacher who specialises in hands-on STEM educationSomeone with experience in robotics clubs, makerspaces, LEGO robotics, Arduino, simple electronics or engineering projectsOr simply an exceptionally curious person with a strong STEM background and a talent for inspiring childrenFormal 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 importantWe are looking for someone who is:Curious and enthusiasticPatient and playfulCreative and resourcefulExcellent at explaining concepts to young childrenComfortable allowing a child to experiment and make mistakesAble to follow a child's interests rather than rigidly following a curriculumExcited by questions like "But why?" and "What would happen if...?"More interested in developing a young scientist's mindset than simply teaching factsWe would particularly value someone who can say:"I don't know. Let's figure it out."What success looks likeWe 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.