About this Service

If your family is looking for an extra hand - I can be that hand!

Though I spend half of my week as the Development, Communications, and Partnerships Director for a non-profit organization providing education, mental health support, and aid to women and girls in Afghanistan, I have about 20-25 hours a week for a family in need of extra help - whether that's as a nanny, tutor, pet caregiver, home organizer, a family assistant, or all of the above!

Depending on what you need, that could look like after-school pickup and care, homework support, managing household logistics, scheduling, organizing a home office, errand running, cooking dinner, or simply being a consistent and trustworthy presence in your children's lives. For tutoring, I specialize in English, writing, and critical thought for kids of all ages, and cover math, science, and social studies through elementary school. I've taught kids from preschool to 12th grade, developed for and taught curricula to women into their 40s, and tutored refugee youth, often without being able to use language to do so. My teaching style is all about how I can adapt to a student and their unique needs and strengths.

My professional background is in educational and curriculum development and consulting - work that is fundamentally about deep observation, careful analysis, and thoughtful problem-solving in service of helping people become their most empowered selves. That is exactly what I bring to my time with children. I pay close attention. I learn how each child thinks, what makes them feel safe, where they're still figuring themselves out. I tailor my approach around who they actually are, and I build an environment where their truest self feels supported and has room to grow. I bring compassion, creativity, and genuine care to this work, while emphasizing independence and the kind of quiet confidence that comes from being believed in.

Over the years I've had the privilege of stepping into a mentor role in many children's lives - from students in rural India to refugee youth in Brooklyn - and it is the part of this I take most seriously. I want to be a person children know they will be seen by, and who they can trust to support them on the way to becoming who they were always meant to be.

I work best with families that lead with compassion, open-mindedness, and joy! If that sounds like your household, and you're in need of some well-rounded support, I'd love to connect :)

About this Lister

I'm Marina from Brooklyn, NY. I currently work part-time as the Director of Development, Communications, and Partnerships for a nonprofit providing education and support to women and girls in Afghanistan, but I've had a full life that has led me to this point!

I was a professional performer starting at the age of 11, and all through my teens I was performing in Broadway shows. Dancing has always been my passion, and is what led me to be able to work in a theater-based setting. However, toward my later teen years I realized I didn't want to perform so much as use the arts to help others in the way that it had helped me so much. I started volunteering and working for various non-profit arts organizations, and after spending a few years in college studying Arts Activism, I left the states and started volunteer teaching academics and dance for a school in India.

I had only planned to be there for 2 months, but my heart was tied to my students, and I stayed for 10. I started doing administrative work for this school part-time while living back in Brooklyn. While in Brooklyn I worked at a summer camp for refugee youth, and later began tutoring the same on the weekends.

I was then offered a full-time English Fellow position at this school in India, where I taught English Language and Literature to middle school and high school students, as well as to some aunties on campus who had never had any formal English classes - all is to say I have experience with a multitude of levels!

At the start of the pandemic I transitioned into an educational consultant role - developing and teaching both academic and emotional/social skill-based curricula. I also began working as an Executive Assistant and Learning and Development Consultant for a company that brings solar-powered energy options to people in rural areas of Tanzania and Nigeria. I structured communication plans, built Learning and Development curricula for the women we served, and partnered on building out a talent management structure.

I lived in Mexico for a couple of years, and spent a portion of my time touring around teaching an emotional release through movement/aerial dance workshop with my ex-partner. Due to this, I do have an intermediate level of Spanish speaking now.

After a year and a half of working at a film production studio as the Head of Client Experience and a Creative Solutions Specialist, I am refocusing on the work that really fills my life with purpose. I thrive when making an impact in the world.

Some passions of mine include creativity, the arts, community engagement, animals, nature, somatic work, psychology, cooking, journaling, learning, and reading. I just started a silver-smithing class on the weekend and I'm very excited about it!

Background and Expertise

I have 19+ years of experience working with children, from newborns through high school, across babysitting, nannying, daycare, summer camp, tutoring, and classroom teaching. I've cared for children in one-on-one settings and group environments, for families in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and internationally, including families with high-profile and celebrity backgrounds - and I understand the discretion and professionalism that comes with that.

Across all of my childcare experience, I emphasize technology-free, creative, and skill-building play. I think carefully about how children spend their time, and I bring that same intentionality to everything from an afternoon activity to a homework session. Of course, I still love a fun movie night with the kids every once in a while :)

I also have experience with children with newborns through the infant and toddler stages - bottle prep and feeding, diaper changes, sleep regressions, potty training, and the particular attentiveness that early childhood requires.

I've held certifications in Infant and Pediatric First Aid and CPR and am more than willing to be re-certified! I have a perfect driving record, am conversational in Spanish, and am an animal lover through and through. I'm also proficient in G-Suite, Asana, and Trello, and can easily learn other project management platforms. References available upon request.