Hayley Crabtree – Camp Director and Founder

Hayley Crabtree ~ Creating Founder of Sprouting Spirits and Director

After becoming a private Nanny in 2005 for two young children, Hayley learned many ways to teach children self-regulation from their Mother’s summer camp. Working under the apprenticeship of good friend and mother Lucianne Hackbert, Ph.D. for 4 wonderful years, Hayley planted her roots and transitioned her inspiration to design Camp Sprouting Spirits using the skills and tools she learned.

Hayley teaches children by letting them explore the world with their curious minds. She helps them build their confidence and awareness, with praise and encouragement. She believes that camp should be a relaxing and exciting place for kids to express themselves in a healthy way and learn new things. She will bring patience, her fun personality, and her energy to camp this year so that every child can sprout.

In her spare time, Hayley loves to travel. In 2007, she taught 2nd grade in rural Jamaica for a month. 2008 brought her to South Africa for an international studies course. Her longest journey in 2010 was 8 months long where she traveled to numerous Southern and East African countries. She is a certified Doula, certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and worked at UWMC in the Department of Genetics as a Research Scientist. Hayley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from Seattle University. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Biological Sciences at Drexel University, College of Medicine, in Philadelphia. Hayley is planning on applying to medical schools this year, and is interested in Pediatrics.

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Steph Evans ~ Camp Counselor

Steph Evans is a Waldorf mama to a five-year old, unicorn loving little girl. She knew from a very young age that her profession would include children, and began working on her Early Childhood Education degree in her senior year of high school. She began working in child care centers shortly after graduating from high school then fell into a nanny position two years later. She has been a professional nanny for approximately nine years now.

Steph cares for children in an “attachment” style yet she appreciates the growth of a child’s independence and enjoys presenting them with situations where they can explore and learn more about their world through interaction and play. She also enjoys finding ways to help children stretch their wings in areas they may not be as strong in (for example, engaging a sedentary crafty type in a physical game like catch or tag, or vice versa).

Outside of child care, Steph owns and runs two small businesses, loves to self-educate, tend an organic heirloom garden, knit, sew, craft with natural materials, and spend time outdoors, especially at the beach. She lives in the Greenlake area with her long-term partner, daughter, Holland Lop Bunny, and tank full of fish.

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Shannon Martin ~ Camp Counselor

Shannon Martin has worked as a professional nanny for 12+ years. She has dedicated many more years to babysitting for local families, volunteering in elementary schools as a reading tutor & weekly kindergarten chef and working in preschools & daycares. Shannon hopes to continue her work with children by becoming a COTA (Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant) and more specifically, helping children with sensory differences.

Shannon Martin is known for her ability to connect with kids on their level. She enjoys listening to their stories, sharing in their enthusiasm for life, facilitating their quest for knowledge with real life answers to their questions and is an expert hide & seeker. She can turn a sheet into a fortress and an idea into a magnificent creation. Shannon is eager to help children find their voices through artistic exploration & expression. Shannon weaves her passion for working with children with her love of health & nutrition in an organic way. Shannon plans to bring her upbeat attitude, love of the outdoors & her fun-loving nature to camp this summer.

In her downtime, Shannon enjoys building sand castles at Golden Gardens, reading the latest pick for Book Club, running and spending time with her favorite adventure partners, her husband & 5 year old son.

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Richard Ryder ~ Camp Counselor

Richard learned responsibility at an early age as the eldest of four children. From making sure his siblings made it to the bus on time to helping them academically, Richard is an experienced veteran in the world of raising children. Richard understands the balance required in children’s lives: love, respect, and guidance. At the UW Engineering Discovery Days, Richard’s passion for science and teaching children collided. He found that he had as much fun revealing the exciting world of science to kids as they had learning about it. Richard brings leadership and his playful and inventive spirit to Camp Sprouting Spirits. He is currently pursing a Bachelor of Science in Material Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. During his free time, he enjoys playing recreational sports with his friends and spending time with his family.

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Katy Webber ~ Children’s Music Teacher

Katy Webber grew up in Everett, Washington entertaining everyone around her until she came home from preschool one day and announced she was going to be shy. At 9 she picked up the guitar and not knowing any chords, wrote her first song, “The Hungry” by plucking the three highest strings repetitively. When her parents grew tired of hearing only one song, she was placed into guitar lessons when she was 10 and played on and off for several years.

Katy graduated from Cornish College of the Arts in December of 2003 earning her Bachelors of Music degree. Before graduation, Katy began a music club at First Place School where she worked with very challenging K-3rd graders and attended Dalcrose workshops as an intern.

Immediately following graduation she began an early childhood music class, Pee Wee Music, at Kirkland Community Center and landed a position of Visitor Service Coordinator/Musical Storyteller at Soundbridge, Seattle Symphony. A couple years later she started additional classes at Greenlake Community Center and took over the lead teacher position at Soundbridge teaching Musik Garten classes. New management and curriculum change gave her the experience of working for a large Kindermusik studio based in Redmond but her love for individual creativity lead her to solely teach for herself and the families who come in and out of her life. Currently Katy teaches early childhood music classes at Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association, several locations for Seattle Parks and Recreation, Preschools through out Seattle, and private lessons. She also performs British Pantomime, sings back up in Caela and the Dangerous Flares, vaudeville variety with Captain Trendo as Jazzmyne McKaye, and performs solo work with voice, guitar and ukulele.

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Amy Rider ~ Next Generation Yoga Teacher

Amy is thrilled to be sharing yoga at Camp Sprouting Spirits this summer. As a parent and longtime teaching artist, she celebrates the intention to help children become more aware of their emotions and mindful in speech and action.

Amy has worked in the performing arts for over a decade as an actor, physical theater performer, and teaching artist. She trained in contemporary circus arts at Circomedia in Bristol, England, and is a member of the UMO Ensemble. As a teaching artist, Amy has taught movement and creative drama with young children and worked with teens in the areas of acting improvisation and original play development. She has a passion for reaching under-served youth through arts education and has focused her teaching work on the transformative and healing potential of creative expression. Favorite youth projects have integrated arts and academics and addressed issues of social justice.

Amy is a recent graduate of Next Generation Yoga’s Teacher Training for 2-7yr olds and is joyously leading kids classes at Lotus Yoga in Columbia City. Amy’s classes blend creative play, live music, and an emphasis on the traditional elements of yoga. Her intention is to increase yoga in schools in hopes of establishing peaceful learning environments where children can focus on their education and experience inner calm.

In her free time, Amy loves forest walks with her husband and 6 year old son, practicing acro and restorative yoga, cooking, gardening, watching films, and sitting still.

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