About Our Teachers

Welcome! I am Ali Maanum and I opened Little Sprouts in May of 2013. My husband Matt and I are both teachers at Little Sprouts and love what we do. We are passionate about teaching, and making a difference in every family that we meet. My past experience working with children includes teaching in a licensed accredited daycare program, assisting & teaching children on the autism spectrum, and leading small preschool classrooms. I received my Early Childhood Administrative Credential in 2016, and we continue working towards bettering our program. Matt quickly became a favorite teacher amongst the children at Little Sprouts due to his energy and charisma! He continues to bring education and fun to a new level.

When I'm not teaching, I'm learning new cooking techniques/recipes and stretching my skills in art, and soap making. Matt and I both love to travel and have spent a lot of time in Central America, Europe, and Vietnam. We love to camp, and stay active; Matt is a strong long distance runner and even completed his first 100 mile race!

We welcomed our first child Theo into the world in August 2017!

Hi! My name is Ceara and I am a teaching assistant with Ali! I've been working at Little Sprouts for over a year and have loved every minute of it. I love watching our kiddos grow and learning about all the little things that make them unique. I love to read and bring in some of my books to read to everyone. Outside of teaching I spend my time practicing and learning new knitting techniques. My favorite things to knit are hats and sweaters. 

I have completed my early childhood education classes, plus my CPR, First Aid, Shaken Baby Syndrome, and SIDS certificates. I also have a degree in Anthropology, English Literature, and a Minor in Chinese.

My name is Meghan and I have been working at Little Sprouts for a year now! I am currently studying sociology and plan on becoming a social worker. In my free time I enjoy dancing, singing, writing, cooking, and hiking. I would consider myself a very creative person and I try to channel that energy with the kids as well. I believe learning should be fun and exciting, so finding new ways to peak their interest and foster a curious mind is important to me. In addition to that, I feel that a strong student-teacher relationship requires one-on-one time. I do my best to spend that time with each kid, while giving them plenty of space to grow independently too. 

I have completed three early childcare education courses, in addition to my Shaken Baby Syndrome, CPR, and First Aid certifications.