Latest / The Women Behind the WOW / Science Is Everywhere: Two Mini Professors, One Honest Conversation
Transcript
- Professor Lee: Hello. So Georgia and I, both run Minute Professors. So rather than, what we thought is rather than me interviewing Georgia, we would have a conversation with each other. We both run the same program. We live, work in completely different areas. So we thought we would have a conversation. So let's get chatting Georgia. So, OK, I'm going to start by just saying, can you introduce yourself? What you do, where you do it and. if somebody had never been to Mini Professors before. and they came to one of your workshops because obviously we do lots of different things. So let's stick with the workshops. What would they get when they come to your amazing classes? Professor Georgia: I'm Georgia. I'm from Mini Professors Chichester and Havent Mini Professors classes are amazing and they're great fun. They're very different. So if you come to a class every week, we have a different topic to explore. It could be dinosaurs, volcanoes, colours, mirrors, mad. magnets, all sorts, digestive system, all sorts of different topics. some that children are naturally gravitated towards and might have a bit of knowledge about and some are a bit more abstract but they will go away loving it. so we always start with an introduction and that is a chance to discuss that topic and that is where they can kind of share what they know which is is really exciting sometimes. but we introduce that topic Through photos or resources, so it's practical in the sense of rather than just sitting and listening. And then we do our first experiment, which is very hands-on. The children get involved, whether it's pouring and mixing, whether it's cutting and sticking, it's practical. Then we have a short video and story. Again, they're both linked to the topic. Then we get to do another experiment, again, another practical experiment for them for finishing up. with kind of a few questions of kind of what we've learned, what we've enjoyed. and yeah, that's that's the kind of the nutshell of the thing. But I forgot about the song. Professor Lee: The song is important because the song is all about science being everywhere and everything, isn't it? And I think that's what Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: we, I think that's what Mini Professors is all about. It's not necessarily categorizing it between biology and chemistry and physics. It's just everything that we do, whether it's eating or sleeping or baking or playing with our friends or our loving dinosaurs or loving going to the beach and finding things or swimming in the sea. It's everything. Or later on, we're with our older children. I always mentioned about gaming. But even that, has got science behind it, hasn't it? So I think that's why our Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: song is so important. Professor Georgia: Yeah, and it's kind of I've always said to the children, particularly when I'm going to schools, saying about what you want to be when you're older, 'cause a lot of them won't say necessarily want to a scientist. Some do which is amazing, but some don't say that as a scientist 'cause they think of just like a lab coat in in a laboratory, but then they say they want to be a chef or whatever, and you're like, Well you need science, you need science for that and ev near enough everything that they they want to do. you can be you can bring it back. Professor Lee: Yeah, I did a careers day in a school. So specifically the school had loads of different parents coming in and all sorts of different jobs. Anyway, I was invited in. I was an auntie actually at that school rather than a parent. So I really kind of thought about all the careers and all the types of scientists and I was really surprised at this long list of scientists that were kind of reeled off and I had this great idea that I was going to, well I did, I give everyone a name badge of a particular, scientist or scientist, a career that somebody could have and yeah it was a real surprise, I think we think of an astronaut or we think of someone just in a lab or, and it's so varied, Professor Georgia: so think way back from when you first started or were about to start and something that you thought that you're not gonna enjoy it or it'll be a bit more of a chore or you don't know if you'd be able to do it and now you've gone actually no, it's really surprised you because you've enjoyed doing it. Professor Lee: don't know if this is the answer to your question. However, when I first met the founders of Mini Professors, Sophie and Emily, I was blown away with the programme. I loved the programme. And with my Franchisor all hat on, my first instinct or my first thought was I need to find a scientist to run this programme. Genuinely, I love this programme. I want to be involved in this programme, but I need to find a scientist to run the programme. and I don't know who I had the conversation with, but actually if you are somebody that can interpret something that's on paper and you can bring it alive with passion and with enthusiasm and then actually you can do anything and I knew that I was good at teaching I just never thought I was science-y. So I think that initially I didn't dream that I could teach science. However, I think I'm very good at it. I think that I genuinely learn with the children. So that keeps me excited about it because it always changes doesn't it anyway. So I think that I thought I couldn't teach science so that if I think back to then blows me away because I I think with Mini Professors actually we know so many different topics because there are so many different topics. Professor Georgia: We've topic for like every week for two years. So some quick maths in there. And more. Professor Lee: Yeah. And then, and then we've got holiday clubs. Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: Yeah. And then we've, obviously now we're, go into schools who work with older children as well. So, yeah, someone asked me this week, how many experiments? And I, it's hundreds and hundreds and hundreds, isn't it? How many experiments? Professor Georgia: I was exactly the same. I don't know if you remember, but we had this conversation. You were like, you need to do Mini Professors, and I was like, no, I can't do it. Because I'd I'd gone to mini professor, I took my eldest to Mini Professors. he's now 12. I took him when he was two and three. so a long time ago, and love loved it, absolutely loved it, thought this is brilliant, but I can't. teach it. Like, no way could I teach it. I've got no background in science. Yes, I did science at at school and did all right then, but that that was that was it. and I don't have a teaching qualification either. I've worked with children since I was 14. So so I've always worked with children, but I don't have that teacher qualification and I don't didn't think I had a science background. So yeah, I was the same. I was like I can't I can't do this however much I loved it. But it was you that said, Do it. Professor Lee: I can't, well I can't remember most things Georgia to be fair. So I didn't, I didn't know that. yay Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: it's my fault you do it. Professor Georgia: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Professor Lee: Tell your parents and your children, your very lucky parents and children down in your area that it's my fault. Because I'm always in awe of what Professor Georgia: It's your fault. But yeah, it wasn't but Professor Lee: you do. Professor Georgia: But it's yeah, and like you said, like you you said you you're quite good. Yeah, I think I'm all right at what I do. so yeah, and yeah. It just I think it's it's having that enthusiasm, passion, and want and drive to want to do it. And if you're willing to to put the time in to to learn those lesson plans and kind of and also be comfortable with saying I don't know because Professor Lee: Yeah. Professor Georgia: you know like you're not expected to know everything. my youngest is always asking me questions, as they do. He's at he's four. And if I say I don't know the answer, he's like, but you're a scientist, mummy Professor Lee: you Professor Georgia: Yeah, it's yeah, it's just putting your hand up and being like, it's it's okay, like we don't know, like let's find out together Professor Lee: important though. it is important us as a practitioner in our classes, but we are then making it okay for children to realise it is okay not to know. But actually I think as well, our parent and children classes, it's for the parents as well I think to know that it's alright not to know and I think as well So we get a lot of adults, including myself probably a long time ago, it's I am not sciency. So for our classes, I think it's trying to break that perception that our classes are only for sciency people. know, that it is not just, that it is dinosaurs and it is explosions and it is about air and it is about water and it actually is about density but actually the density for our two and three year olds is dropping splashing something in the bath and will it sink or will it will it float that that's them learning I think for the parents to know that actually they don't they don't have to have all the answers do they they don't none of us have to have all the answers we just need to be able to as a parent are open to listening to them and throwing those, if they've got a question, like you say, I don't know, let's find out. That's the beginning of science, isn't it? letting them be curious. Professor Georgia: it's sparking that curiosity, isn't it? And that like eagerness to learn and and that's what it's about. That's what we're trying to do, isn't it? Is yeah, we want to inspire them to be in science, but it's it's to ask questions and be curious. That's that's what we want them to do. Professor Lee: What we do is play, isn't it? We are playing, we are having fun. Our, our Mini Professors are not sitting there thinking they're, learning as such. They are learning through play. It is, it is fun, but it is so much more than that. And then, we work with two year olds, three year olds. So I went to Mini Professors as well. I went to Emily and Sophie's classes in Winchester. So I took my son from the age of two because when Emily and Sophie came into my life, that's where I was. Noah was two at the time and he was not that child. He was the child that clung to me. He was the child that wouldn't put the lab coat on. he was not the child that came out with any amazing answer to anything. But he loved it. But I do believe later on, there was things that would happen at home and conversations would happen at home. And even I believe, when he went into primary school and he's in secondary now, but there was things that he would say or things that he would do. There's, they came from those... times that he went to Mini Professors classes. Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: did I think that everything was going in at the time? Probably not. I just knew that it was a lovely thing to do together. Got really fond memories of doing it together. Professor Georgia: I always remember my eldest yeah, so he was two, we did recycling session and it was kind of sorting, so they learn about materials and then with them making paper and stuff. So it was all quite practical and quite yeah, moving around the lots and stuff. And like you said, it's it's a time together and it was fun for us to have together. But the concept of recycling and the kind of introduction bit, I was a bit like, is there only two? Like I don't know how much like he's taking in. And then it wasn't even it must have been like a week later or a couple of weeks later. He's going, Mummy recycling. What? Mummy recycling. And he's pointing. I'm going, what are you pointing at? And we're sat in a van. At and I was looking outside, trying to think with like something that's he's seen like a bin or whatever. Wasn't it the recycling symbol that's tiny that's on the window of the van, and he's going and like, yeah, it was a real like, you really are. Like, just they just take everything in and they've just he's remembered that picture, and they obviously spoke about it, and he's yeah, he's spotted it outside completely abstract from what we've done. it wasn't like it was on the bin, it was just yeah, on the glass. Professor Lee: when I go into nurseries, I think because, the nursery staff have to be so observant and write everything down. That's where I get a lot of the feedback of what the children, have taken on board. And I can remember doing, when we were doing about polymers and possibly. the staff even, they, we've worked out what topics we're going to do in line with what they're doing in their setting. And it must have been materials and I'd suggested polymers and I don't think most of the staff knew what a polymer was and were maybe a bit dubious about whatever this topic was. However, it's done in such an amazing way. And I remember the week later or the two weeks later, all the staff coming up to me and mentioning that the child had gone home and spoken to the parents about polymers or when they were picking up their plastic tools and they were using the word polymers. Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: why do we use these big words when we're working with our two year olds, three year olds? Because the children can say big words and they can Professor Georgia: Can that? Yeah. Professor Lee: take in big words and they can understand big words. And then I always give the dinosaur analogy, when little children are saying these more so than me because I'm terrible with my dinosaurs but they're saying these huge dinosaur words. Professor Georgia: Yeah. Yeah. Professor Lee: very capable. Professor Georgia: They are. They're incredibly capable. Professor Lee: what do you do when an experiment doesn't go quite right? Professor Georgia: all the time. That's why I practice first. It's why I I have to practice. Doesn't matter how many times I've done said experiment, I will always just do a quick little practice the week before just to make sure. the salty water and fresh water. sometimes it can be really frustrating because you know it works and you know you've done it lots of times and then it just goes not today but it just opens up another opportunity to ask those questions and and try it again or look at changing it slightly differently. and yeah, just being like is that's science. Professor Lee: And hopefully they go away and they try at home. Professor Georgia: yeah. Professor Lee: and then they go, I did it. Professor Georgia: I did it, yeah, I got it to work. so sometimes I think particularly when I first started, I'd panic a lot and might shy away from it of like, no, it's not work, what do I do? Whereas now it's just like, well, why? We're we're scientists that's work this out. Why isn't it work? Professor Lee: I would say that's why I'm in this job because things go wrong. can just say it's science. Professor Georgia: Yeah, it's science. Professor Lee: What is it about Mini Professors Professor Georgia: It's different. Professor Lee: that you love? Professor Georgia: It's different. there isn't there isn't a class like us out there. And that's I think why really pushed me because I was like, there is nothing that's a parent child class that is like this. but then you kind of once I was in it, I kind of started to look a little bit more at different things. And it's like schools and nurseries, but schools, they're not teaching practical science. It's all from worksheets or looking on a video or They might have one experiment, Professor Lee: Cause he took Professor Georgia: but it's as a class, but they're doing minimal amount in in primary schools and it's like, but why? We've just said it's in everything. It's in everything we do, it's everything we see, it's in every career. Like, why is it not there? And so to have the opportunity to go into schools and and show them how we can do it and and show those kids that they might not be able to come to the classes and but they can still be involved in the science. And and then I feel like I'm kind of going really fast, but then I've gone into holiday clubs and I'm going, Well, there's a need for this as well, because with holiday clubs, we're where I am, we're very lucky. There are lots of options that parents can send their children to, but it's all sports based. And it's like, Well, if you don't have a child that's interested in sport or that they don't want to do sport all week, they want to have that variety, then then what what can they do? So again, we bring something different for for those children that yeah, want want something else or those parents want something different. So yeah, it's it is. It's just because it's it's exciting. Professor Lee: think it's varied, isn't the parent and child is very, very different. going into nurseries and schools, which I'm really passionate about because actually our parent and adult classes are amazing, but those children are lucky enough that they have, the parents have extra money where they can come to our classes, which is amazing. However, then that makes me sad that there are so many other children out there and I think our role in science what we do is just sowing that seed. and sowing that seed that because I think I do think that once children get to secondary and it becomes these a set of chemistry, physics, biology and lots and lots of theory it can be really off-putting for a lot of children it can be scary and I think that Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: our role is to sow that seed. so that hopefully when they get to secondary, they remember that actually it can be fun and it is everything and it is, but obviously you need the theory as well. But our role is to, just that spark. So I think my passion going into schools and nurseries that you are then, you are with all those children, whether they've got, parents have got enough money or they haven't got enough money. It doesn't matter, it's irrelevant, but. And then I think as well in primary schools, the difficulty is budgets, resources, primary school teachers that do every subject so they don't necessarily specialise in a particular subject or they might specialise in a particular subject, but it might not be science. Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: I think our role, isn't it? We're going in. We are an expert in what we do. We bring all the resources. We bring all the excitement and the passion because we know how passionate we are about this program and making it the best, science educational program available across the whole country. That's why schools need us, my... passion is working with schools and nurseries because then you spend time with all those children and you get to them in that important time in their lives. Science, languages, art, music, as well as all those other subjects. Play, you're motivated in something then that has an impact on everything else. So it's bringing everything into schools for those children isn't it but then budgets are tight, we know that but we also know how important we are. Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: We want this program to be recognized. We want this program to grow over the, across the whole country, if not the world. Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: What has changed within your business? What have you learnt? What have you been doing? Professor Georgia: What have I been doing? I don't know, Lee. What have I been doing? holiday clubs is probably where I've been growing there's so many strands to to Mini Professors and I have done most of them. Still not done an assembly. and Professor Lee: Love assemblies, you need to do assemblies. I love Professor Georgia: with Mini Professors, because we've got so many strands, where there are things that you might not feel confident in, you don't have to do them. So like I don't have to do an assembly. but also that's areas you can then recruit someone to come and do it Professor Lee: Yeah. Professor Georgia: instead. So I have gone into nurseries, but I've got a class leader that I've employed and she does my nurseries for me. So yeah, so you can you can do that and it's a great way to build build your business. you just pick and choose where you feel confident. That and that's probably the other thing is where and probably the same with yourself, where I didn't feel confident necessarily in can I teach this? Can I do it, doing the parent and child class to start with, that was where I naturally felt comfortable because I was used to that with Toddler Sense So it's it's all really quite a similar environment in the sense of the child and the parent are there. once I felt confident in it and then obviously built my built up my experience and and and the training side of it, then I could then do my training to go into schools, but feel that I could do it because I've already got some time under my belt in the the parent and child. but yeah so as I've done that, I've now gone to holiday clubs and that's where I've been growing it this past year. So we're now doing about three a a week over the summer holidays. Yeah, it's exhausting, but I love it. I absolutely love it. And I've I'm building up my team, so I've got some well, someone that I'm training to lead, so I won't have to necessarily be there, but then I've also got other staff that are the are the assistants, and yeah, just growing that and that's lovely because the children that I've seen From the parent and child. So a lot of them I've known a long time, and even Toddler Sense I've known a long, long time, and they're still with me at holiday clubs. So it's really special that they're still there. And I get families say that they don't trust anybody else to look after their children on the holidays, which is it's is amazing. and I will be incredibly sad when they they have to leave when they get too old. Professor Lee: I am looking for a practitioner to run holiday clubs with me because I do want to add more. However, we have children ourselves, so the holidays are, still quite precious to us. Although I am working more and more on the holidays because the children are teenagers and they don't actually need me anymore. So I am looking for a practitioner, but I have added one extra day for the October half term. I'm Professor Georgia: No. Professor Lee: very excited about. So I am very lucky that I have been taken on by the Dorset Council for HAF holiday activities and food. So I'm really, really, really Honoured. So I get to go take Mini Professors into, well we've just gone into 19 different providers over the summer holidays. And I know what makes us different is first of all, we are a small business. We are, so passionate about holiday clubs being. fun, engaging, the making friends, the being of value and our team, we hand pick our team, including us, we put everything into it, the setup, the day itself, there's so much more than the day itself and I think going around all these different holiday clubs. We are, we're amazing at what we do. And I think that the parents, hopefully the parents know, how, how we care about their children that whole day, how we think about it, how we're evaluating, how we're continually evolving, how we continually ensuring that that child, their child. has the very best experience they could possibly have at a holiday club. Just from that initial contact, reassuring that child and letting them know what they're coming to and what's going to happen, because children and adults, they need to know that. But some children, they don't want to come in on the... in the morning because it's a brand new experience and perhaps they've not met us before. So we do spend a lot of time maybe with some children at the beginning and with the adults in assuring them, that it's all right to feel the way they do. and obviously we will call that parent, should they not settle, Professor Georgia: Yeah, we we we had that in the summer we had a a grandparent that was kind of I'd had several quick phone calls with her anyway to say that her granddaughter was very nervous, she hasn't done done this like holiday club before and she doesn't really like going anywhere new but sh they want they want to have her to have that opportunity to try different things and and to go and experience different things, but she just knew that she wouldn't she would struggle, she wouldn't just walk through the door and And even like on drop off she's just like just just phone me, even if she only lasts an hour, just phone me and they they I will do that. and yes, this child obviously was very nervous, but we just looked after her and kind of did colouring with her and chatting with her for a bit, and then played, and then managed to help her to find some girls that she could play with, and then and then she was absolutely fine and had. grandma message at lunch being like, Is okay? Do you want me to come pick her up? Like, she's absolutely fine. And she did the whole day. And even when grandma turned up, she was like, Is she okay? Like did she manage it? What was she upset? I was like, No, she she was she was absolutely absolutely fine. and I feel like you said, of course we'd phone if if we didn't think they were, but we know we can nurture them and look after them and yeah, give them that that opportunity to to thrive. Professor Lee: there are so many different types of children that come to the holiday clubs Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: as well, they? And you do get the quiet ones that come back again and again and again. You they're quiet and you do, you always thinking about the children, one child or another, but they come back, they are comfortable. They're just quiet, but actually you watch their confidence grow. And they do ask questions because they're given that opportunity to ask questions, aren't they? Professor Georgia: Yeah. And it's I think it's a space that I and I think we run our holiday clubs very similarly, that it's okay if they don't want to do it. Like if they're if they just want to do some building or play with magnets or read a book. They they can. They don't have to they don't have to take part in everything that we're doing all day. because holidays particularly the summer, they're so busy for children, whether they're going from different holiday clubs, whether they're going away or seeing family and it's it's a wonderful time. It like if parents are off and that and want to do so many things with their children. But it's exhausting. So sometimes they come to us and they're just like they just they just wanna sit or they just want to play with a couple of friends that they don't normally get to see or they haven't had them all together in one room to play other than at school. So that that's okay and as we provide that space that's okay. yeah. we've mentioned that when when we first thought about thought about taking on a franchise, we were worried that we weren't sciencey, we didn't have that science background. but what about the other side? what if someone's kind of they're interested in it, they might have a teaching background or they might think that they'd be quite they they'd be good at this. They're not a business person. And and if they're taking on a franchise, they're running a business. So they're not a business person could Could they do it? Professor Lee: I think anyone taking on a business just have to be open to learning. Majority of us that have come into being a business owner did not have business experience, did we? Professor Georgia: No Professor Lee: and running a business is quite, it's practical things. simplicity is, you've got... you've got to run the class, you also need to get the people in. So the marketing is huge. of course you need to really, understand what you're spending on, money coming in, money going out, the bit in the middle is the profit. So you need to do, understand that. But that's all learnable, isn't it? So I think that if you are somebody that would like to be part of Mini Professor, franchise and take on a franchise then as long as they are open to learning they need to be somebody that can be at the front of a class whether it is Mini Professors, Baby Sensory, Toddler Sense, Reading Fairy and they need to engage with children and with adults With regards to the business, they just need to be open to learning and listening and growing and evolving and evaluating. This didn't go right this time. What am I doing? This isn't working this term. This isn't working this year. What can I do differently? So I think anybody coming into business, they need to be open to. learning and open to working as a team that's the benefits of being part of a franchise you're not they're not on their own We are lucky because we're WOW so there's so many of us, but we're all doing the same, even if we're running different programmes within our own business. But yeah, working as a team, working together, So I think that the person taking on a business needs to be open to learning and open to evolving. Professor Georgia: Yeah. You just want that drive. just want to want to do it, isn't it? You've got a a a regional that will help support you, you've got your team around you, whether it's other Mini Professors or like you said, other WOW programmes that can can all support you and and help you and guide you and recommend things. it's not it's not as scary as sometimes I think you think you'd go, I've got to take on a business, what have I got to do? Professor Lee: Yeah, or being scared of people around you that are running the same a different business. there's enough children out there. There's enough babies, there's enough toddlers, there's enough children out there to go around. it's work being open to work together. Professor Georgia: I've got a family that comes to my Toddler Sense my Mini Professors, and my colleagues Reading Fairy down the road. also have a family. Professor Lee: They love the WOW family. That's the point of WOW though, isn't it? of that life cycle. So they leave Baby Sensory and then they go to Toddler Sense Mini Professors, and then they come back around. That's why we need to work together. That's the point of our umbrella of WOW World Group, isn't it? And Keepabeat of course. Professor Georgia: Yeah, and how the yeah, how they complement. Yeah, they complement the programmes complement each other, so you mentioned earlier that you're looking for a practitioner. so if someone sat there thinking this could be me, what are you what are you looking for in a practitioner when you take them on? Professor Lee: They don't need to be a teacher. They don't need to be a scientist. the programme is written, the lesson plans written. I'm looking for someone that can pick it up and bring it life. They love children. When we're working in schools and we're doing clubs, it's very different to when you're with a parent So they do need to be able to manage, but that's about exciting and enthusiasm and all those things. So I'm looking for someone that... is curious themselves and wants to share that curiosity. I am looking for someone to work with me as a practitioner for holiday clubs and then in schools I think that there are lot of teachers out there, so you don't have to be a teacher, but there are a lot of teachers out there that went into teaching with all this passion and all this want to, engage in all the things that I'm looking for, but... have unfortunately, with the amount of the marking and all the, the politics or the, the red tape, for example, have fallen out of love with teaching. I think that's where, that's where we fit. That's where we, taking on somebody that, has taught and loves teaching and is passionate, but unfortunately being, working in the school every day, is not for them. that's who I'm looking for Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: They don't have to do any lesson planning. They don't have to sort all the equipment. know, all of that is done for them. They just go in and do their stuff and then they leave. Professor Georgia: It's that flexibility, isn't it, for somebody? Whether they've got if they've got children at school and want to do the school runs, like that it fits, doesn't it? If you're if you are a teacher, you're not just nine three, you're there crack a dawn, you're there late at night and you still take stuff home with you to mark. So it's giving you that flexibility and that yeah, that being around for you for your family. Professor Lee: Yeah, that way of doing what you were born to do, but doing it in a way that will fit with your own family. So, I mean, I run after school clubs. However, there is a market going into schools and doing breakfast clubs or going and even lunchtime clubs. So, I think all of my team, they've all got different skills and they come in and I'm like, what do you want to do? know what part of the business do you want to be part of? what works in with your life? But yeah I am looking for, I'm always looking for practitioners but they need to, have a passion for children and they need to be curious themselves. So are you looking for anybody? Professor Georgia: someone who is yeah energetic and enthusiastic and passionate. but it would be great to have that experience of working with children. because I think with holiday clubs we have so many different needs of children and it takes I think it takes a certain skill. You have a group of children turn up for the day and you've got to learn them in a split second really of what needs they need and how they're going to work and having the ability to adapt. so if you're trying to trying to lead an experiment and it's not working, or you're trying to get their attention to do the introduction and it's not working, kind of quickly going right, what can I do to get that energy out and then they can they they're ready to engage or how can I deliver this slightly differently? make it more simple, whatever it might be, to to get them to be able to do it. So yeah, so I think if you've got experience of working with children and have that already that ability to try and adapt the way that you're delivering, that's great. We can help to kind of teach that, but that would be really helpful if they do have it already. Professor Lee: think adaption, that's a great word because actually all of our, everything we do, any setting we work in, we're continually adapting to that day, to that environment, to the dynamics of the children. Adaption's a great word. Professor Georgia: It's you don't know what's gonna happen in the morning. So you turn up to your village hall and it's not clean or you can't get in or you left something at home. Like there's there's things all the time that c can go wrong and you're like, Well, okay, I need to I need to still go on with it, so I can't just go, No, that's it, I'm not running. you need to try and make everything possible so you can give them the best session, holiday club, workshop, whatever it might be. So yeah, we'll it yeah, adaption, definitely. Professor Lee: So this this academic year, you're going to be focusing on Professor Georgia: holiday clubs because so my youngest starts school Monday. So where it's okay for me to work three days a week in in the holidays, I now don't want to. I want to be I will work some, but I don't want to do as much as that. So but I still want the business to carry on. So yeah, so that's I'm yeah, recruiting for that. so parties is is definitely somewhere else that I want to to explore. I do parties myself, they're great. They're amazing. and I think yeah, I think I've I've I've come to a decision of like, yes, I would like to recruit a party leader as well. Professor Lee: Well, both of us, we've got our own venues. phenomenal, beautiful, fabulous venues. They're perfect for a party. Yeah, I'm the same. I love running them, get nothing but fabulous feedback. first of all, when they come into the venue, because it is so wow, it's a perfect party venue. And then... you've got that 20 children and the adults are, getting a front seat view of how engaged the children are with what we're doing. You Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: know, and I think with a party, especially these are parents that are just coming along because they've been invited to their child, child's friends party. They, we do get lots of adults that then become our customers because they get to see us then for the first time because We are wow, our parties are amazing. Our parties Professor Georgia: Yeah. Professor Lee: are wow. We do get lots of bookings, I could always have more bookings, more party bookings. Professor Georgia: it's someone I could take on that they can run they can run them at the venue, but also it's something that you can do anywhere. I've done them in people's houses, in people's gardens, in village halls. So there's there's lots of places you can do a a party. and so yeah, it just they're just again, they're different, they're great fun and again the the the person doesn't need science background, they don't need a teaching background, they just need to be fun and like you said, willingness to learn. If you learn that the the party plan, plans, should I say, yeah, and and just have that enthusiasm and excitement and kind of if they're blown away, I think, by what's happening as well is quite great. it adds to it. It's yeah, if they're excited by it, like when we do the flash paper, had my lead to do it and and she knew it was gonna happen. She's practiced it because I've shown her how to do it, but still when it was in front of the kids, she was still like like, wow. and it Professor Lee: you Professor Georgia: was a genuine whoa. and it's yeah, that rubs off on the kids and the parents and yeah, it's it makes it even more exciting Professor Lee: I think parties would be great for, a college student or a university student. Professor Georgia: Yeah. Yeah. Professor Lee: So Georgia, it's been lovely speaking to you this morning in this very bizarre format. As we know we are very passionate about Mini Professors. We could speak forever on it. There is so Professor Georgia: Okay. Professor Lee: much to speak about. But I think that, I think we'll leave it there. I think to kind of sum it all up, science is about... allowing children to be curious, ask questions, get it wrong, try again, guess or predict, play. Professor Georgia: Play. Professor Lee: That's Mini Professors.