STAFF
Ali Pepper
Director & Seedlings Lead Guide (1st-2nd Grade)
Ali has been a Montessori teacher and parent for over 12 years. She has a background in fine art, a passion for teaching children about the beautiful Pacific Northwest and enjoys singing with children to the tune of her ukulele. Ali is always excited to grow, learn and discover. She carries this enthusiasm into her teaching practice.
Early foundations of learning and play are a crucial part of childhood developmental. Ali enjoys helping children with early math and language skills through fun activities that leave children empowered and ready for more. Ali hopes to inspire wonder in your children as they will for her.
Amanda graduated from The Center of Guided Montessori Studies in 2019. She has assisted and taught in Montessori environment for 4 years. Amanda has worked with children for over 20 years from nannying, volunteering to teaching.
She has always had a love of children and a passion to foster a love of learning for them.
Amanda is a native to the PNW and enjoys being outdoors. She likes spending her time in her flower garden, cooking and baking, paddle boarding, hiking and going on adventures. She has a 13 year old son who loves swimming, baseball and animals. They are both excited to join the Kitsap Life Academy community this year!
Amanda Rodriguez
Sprouts Lead Guide (Ages 3-Kinder)
Mitchell Gage comes to Kitsap Life Academy after a career protecting and teaching about wild spaces throughout the American west. Mitchell has a Biology degree and a Masters in Environmental Education and Science Communication which served him well during his experiences working outdoors with the National Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service along with nonprofit groups to keep our natural spaces beautiful and healthy while informing and educating the public about them. He installed trails, felled trees, and removed noxious weeds on our public lands to keep them healthy and beautiful before becoming an outdoor educator at the McCall Outdoor Science School.
Before moving to Washington he worked as an Education and Interpretation Ranger in Death Valley National Park, providing educational field trips, museum activities, and events to the public. Mitchell has lived and taught outdoors in the area for two years and is excited to help your students grow while they learn about the world, nature, and themselves at KLA.
MitchELL Gage
Evergreens Lead Guide (7th-10th)
Bryanna Gomez
Saplings Lead Guide (3rd-5th) & Assistant Director
Bryanna has experience working with children since 2010. She has a background in Montessori, gross- motor skill development programs and a bit of outdoor experience learning. Her passion is helping children develop their whole self. She believes that the role of an educator is to provide children with the knowledge and tools needed to develop their whole selves into kind, independent and confident human beings. Outside of child development, Bryanna enjoys spending time with her family, photography and tending to her farm in Poulsbo.
Shannon Prasch
Alder Lead Guide (5th-6th)
Shannon received her BA in Social Work in 1998 and spent the next several years working to protect, support, and advocate for vulnerable populations. In 2011 when her oldest child didn’t fit the mold of public school, Shannon started homeschooling and continued to homeschool all 3 of her children until middle school. Since then she has devoted her life to education. She started a homeschool co-op, taught English to Chinese children, and most recently spent the last two years teaching 4th - 6th grade at an outdoor school.
In addition to experience in teaching academics, Shannon has a background in teaching kids bushcraft skills, plant and animal identification, basic wilderness first aid and survival skills. When she is not teaching, she loves being outdoors with hiking, backpacking, and foraging being her favorite activities. Shannon’s educational philosophy centers around helping children to learn to love learning. She is an energetic teacher that loves to incorporate projects and games to help aid in concept development. She loves getting her hands dirty right alongside her students.
