Youth Instructor

Urban Workshop; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 30,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary Urban WorkshopMembership

Extensive training

Collaborative peers and Members

Job summary

Urban Workshop in Costa Mesa, CA is seeking a patient, energetic instructor to teach hands-on making to students aged 10–16. This part-time role focuses on safety, clear demonstrations, and guiding students as they build real projects.

You'll teach across shop areas (woodworking, metal, lasers, 3D printing, electronics), maintain classroom flow, enforce safety protocols, take attendance, and provide updates at pickup. A complimentary shop membership is included.

Qualifications

• Experience teaching kids ages 10 to 16 in teaching, camp, tutoring, coaching, scouting, or a similar setting.
• Comfortable and safe with hand tools and shop equipment, or willing to be trained to our standard.
• Able to manage a full classroom, keep every student engaged, and keep every student safe at the same time.
• Patience and steadiness. Some students pick things up immediately and some need the same demonstration three times.
• Clear, friendly communication with students, parents, and guardians.
• Must pass a background check and follow our youth safety and supervision policies.
• Prior shop, trades, art, or STEM teaching background is a plus

Responsibilities

• Arrive ahead of class with materials staged, tools checked, and the room set up and ready.
• Teach the assigned curriculum, demonstrate each skill, and coach students while they practice it.
• Enforce shop safety rules, PPE, and supervision requirements with zero shortcuts.
• Take attendance, manage sign-in and sign-out with parents and guardians, and keep records accurate.
• Give parents a quick, useful update at pickup and elevate any concerns to the Education Manager.
• Reset the classroom and shop area after every session, restock consumables, and flag tool or equipment issues.
• Give feedback on the curriculum: what worked, what dragged, and where a better demonstration is needed.
• Support summer camp, workshops, and special events as scheduled.
• Inspire and encourage students, members, and each other

Skills

Teaching kids

Safety-conscious

Classroom management

Patience

Communication

Tools

Hand tools

Shop equipment

Job description

DESCRIPTION

Urban Workshop is looking for a patient, energetic instructor to teach hands‑on making to students ages 10 to 16. This is a part‑time role for someone who genuinely likes working with kids and wants to hand them real skills on real equipment.

Our youth curriculum is built around skills rather than projects. Students learn to measure, lay out, cut, join, and finish, and the project is just how they practice. Your job is to demonstrate the technique and the safety habits that go with it, then coach from the side while they do the work themselves. You will teach across our shop areas, including woodworking, metal, lasers, 3D printing, and electronics. You do not need to be an expert in all of them on day one, but you do need to be trainable and safe.

You will run classes during the school year and full days during summer camp, and you will be the adult a room of kids is watching. That means holding the safety line every time, keeping the room moving, and sending students home proud of something they built. A complimentary membership is included, so you can use the shop for your own projects whenever you are off the clock.

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Arrive ahead of class with materials staged, tools checked, and the room set up and ready
• Teach the assigned curriculum, demonstrate each skill, and coach students while they practice it
• Enforce shop safety rules, PPE, and supervision requirements with zero shortcuts
• Take attendance, manage sign-in and sign-out with parents and guardians, and keep records accurate
• Give parents a quick, useful update at pickup and elevate any concerns to the Education Manager
• Reset the classroom and shop area after every session, restock consumables, and flag tool or equipment issues
• Give feedback on the curriculum: what worked, what dragged, and where a better demonstration is needed
• Support summer camp, workshops, and special events as scheduled
• Inspire and encourage students, members, and each other

COMPENSATION AND PERKS

• $20-22/hr. DOE
• Complimentary Urban Workshop membership: full access to our 30,000 sq ft facility and all shop areas during open hours, so you can work on your own projects between shifts
• Extensive training, including access to our classes and equipment orientations
• The opportunity to work alongside an amazing group of peers and Members

REQUIREMENTS

The ideal candidate has real experience leading groups of kids and is comfortable around tools. Shifts are scheduled in advance and include weekday afternoons and weekends during the school year, plus full weekdays during summer camp.

• Experience working with kids ages 10 to 16 in teaching, camp, tutoring, coaching, scouting, or a similar setting
• Comfortable and safe with hand tools and shop equipment, or a clear willingness to be trained to our standard
• Able to manage a full classroom, keep every student engaged, and keep every student safe at the same time
• Able to break a skill into steps, demonstrate it clearly, and explain it again a different way when it does not land
• Patience and steadiness. Some students pick things up immediately and some need the same demonstration three times
• Clear, friendly communication with students, parents, and guardians
• Must pass a background check and follow our youth safety and supervision policies
• Prior shop, trades, art, or STEM teaching background is a plus
• Must present a professional image, be courteous and organized, and reliable
• Start and end shifts on time
• Inform the shop or management team of any facility, equipment, or documentation issues