Engineering Instructor - Elementary - One week Summer Camp - 2026

Education Unlimited; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing provided

Meals provided

Travel stipend

Job summary

Education Unlimited is looking for an Engineering Camp Instructor to foster a fun and educational summer program in Palo Alto, California. The role requires teaching engineering principles through hands-on projects and supervising campers in a dynamic environment.

Candidates should have at least 2 years of teaching experience and a passion for science education. The position offers housing, meals, and a travel stipend for qualified individuals.

Qualifications

• 2+ years experience teaching or significant subject matter knowledge.
• Experience with middle, high school or college-age students.
• Passion for science education.

Responsibilities

• Teach the Education Unlimited curriculum.
• Supervise campers in and out of the classroom.
• Organize and lead classroom labs.

Skills

Teaching experience

Science education

Organizational skills

Education

Advanced degree (preferred)

2+ years of teaching experience

Job description

Education Unlimited® provides academic summer camps & pre-college summer programs for students entering grades 4-12. Our summer programs include public speaking camps, college admissions prep programs, science camps, summer acting camp, writing camps, computer camp, leadership camp, video production camp, and college tours.

Enginering Camp Instructor

Education Unlimited seeks energetic and experienced science instructors for our fun, activity-based summer program.

Available sessions: Please indicate your availability on your application. Instructors may be hired for one or more sessions based on availability. Housing, meals, salary and travel stipend provided for correct candidate.

• Stanford University (Grades 4–6)
  July 19 – July 24, 2026
  July 26 – July 31, 2026

Education Unlimited offers two levels of Engineering Courses:

• Intro to Engineering for rising 4th to 6th graders (Available)
• Engineering 9th - 12th for rising 9th to 12th graders (Positions have been filled)

Course descriptions can be found below for both courses.

Intro to Engineering Course Description:

In Intro to Engineering, students will learn the basic principles of engineering design and use this process to solve a variety of build challenges, which must survive performance trials and unexpected obstacles along the way! Students will work collaboratively with one another and our amazing instructors to study the principles of force, energy, mass, and other fundamental properties in Newtonian physics.

Using real-world buildings and other edifices as inspiration, campers will start the week by defying gravity to build the tallest skyscrapers and strongest bridges. Then, they will move onto air resistance and density and study how different types of planes, boats, and cars operate, seeking out unique ways to build them all and optimize their designs. Students learn how engineers have to build with earth's forces in mind; from gravity, to air resistance, to friction, to buoyancy and even centripetal force, students will be learning how scientists both work against and with those forces in their designs.

As the week continues, our engineering challenges get even more elaborate! Campers will be faced with tasks that combine their knowledge of physics with ingenuity and an ability to work together within a budget! Students will learn how to use air resistance to create windmills and helicopters as well as fight against that force when they create rockets and planes. They will even learn how to keep a top spinning as they create their own toy that uses centripetal force. The camp finale will be a demonstration of campers’ final invention, an egg drop – whose team will succeed and get their precious cargo to safety, and who will crack under pressure? sing real-world buildings and other edifices as inspiration, campers will start the week by defying gravity to build the tallest skyscrapers and strongest bridges. Then, they will move onto air resistance and density and study how different types of planes, boats, and cars operate, seeking out unique ways to build them all and optimize their designs.

As the week continues, our engineering challenges get even more elaborate! Campers will be faced with tasks that combine their knowledge of physics with ingenuity and an ability to work together within a budget! The camp finale will be a demonstration of campers’ final invention, an egg drop – whose team will succeed and get their precious cargo to safety, and who will crack under pressure?

This immersive camp gives students a hands-on introduction to diverse fields of engineering, guiding them through the full design process across multiple specialties. The week begins with a human-centered design challenge — creating a functional wallet — and progresses into electrical engineering with basic circuitry involving switches and light bulbs.

Midweek, students tackle an environmental challenge by designing and building water filtration systems, followed by a biomedical engineering project where they construct a prosthetic hand and explore biomechanics. Mechanical engineering is next, with rubber band-powered car builds that emphasize force, motion, and design iteration.

The camp wraps up with an exciting Engineering Olympics — a friendly, fast-paced competition that brings together all the skills students have built throughout the week. Along the way, students practice budgeting, build bills of materials, and present their projects, gaining skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

RESPONSIBILITIES

In-person Camp Responsibilities include teaching the Education Unlimited curriculum, supervising campers both in and out of the classroom, organizing and leading classroom labs, and executing a finale showcasing student work at the end of camp. Instructors will also be responsible for tracking student work and handing in any deliverables to the camp director and EU home office.

In addition to teaching responsibilities, instructors should be available and willing to assist the camp director with active supervision, recreational activities, and some administrative tasks. Instructors should be mature, reliable, and able to work well with fellow staffers. Instructors are also expected to act as mentors and will be asked to assist with field trips and guide students on excursions. With the support of the entire staff, instructors are responsible for the health and safety of students, in addition to fulfilling instructional objectives.

At all overnight programs, instructors have the option of commuting to camp each day or staying overnight on campus. Overnight staff members will receive full room and board and will be expected to help with evening supervision duties.

Qualifications:

• 2+ years experience teaching experience or significant subject matter knowledge.
• Experience working with middle, high school or college age students in an academic setting.
• Preference given to those with advanced degrees.
• A passion for science education.
• A calm and professional demeanor.
• Self-motivation and follow-through.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.