Alice loves to help children learn and grow. Early childhood development and education are her true passions. Her motto is: "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old when we stop playing." Alice graduated from Wesleyan University in 2004 with a major in theatre. A former assistant teacher for both National Presbyterian School and Imagination Stage, she enjoys working with children in the context of improvisation and movement. We've been very fortunate to have Alice as our lead teacher since we first opened our doors here at Jonah's Treehouse. The only ones more fortunate than we are? That's easy. The kids.
Jelika is a native Washingtonian who is currently attending South Carolina State University College, majoring in Speech Pathology. Her dream job is to be a Speech Therapist, possibly working with young children. She enjoys writing and spending time with friends and family. We hope she will return to Jonah's next summer to assist with birthday parties and to work in our summer camp program.
Aliya is a native Washingtonian who has lived in Glover Park her whole life. She attended Washington Hebrew, Our Lady of victory elementary and middle school, St. John's College High School, and is now headed to St. Olaf in MN for college. Some of Aliya's hobbies include drawing and biking, and she hopes to pursue the study of graphic design at college. We hope she will return to Jonah's next summer to work in our summer camp program.
Jennyfer never seems to tire of working with children. She can often be found babysitting and spending time with kids even in her off hours. She's a DC local, graduating from The Art Institute of Washington with a bachelor's degree in interior design, but children are her first love. She learned all about them from her mother who works as a teacher's assistant at a Virginia Elementary School. Jennyfer's love of learning and teaching is lifelong, and she hopes to one day open her very own child play studio. Her motto is: "Work hard. Laugh lots!"
A native Washingtonian, Yasmine is a graduate of Sidwell Friends and McGill University. She's a marketing major and former camp counselor with a strong background in early childhood. Yasmine is one of a kind. She brings her exuberance and love of teaching to every class at Jonah's Treehouse. It's no wonder the kids adore her. Her motto? "Do what you love. Love what you do."
Celeste recently graduated from Howard University with a degree in drama. She has worked with children in many different capacities, including a children's theatre in Minneapolis. She finds her drama background helps her relate to kids and teach them how to exercise their imaginations, increase their confidence, and let their personalities shine. Her motto is, "Kids dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music." We're so happy to have Celeste back at our studio.
Vicki created the Jonah's Treehouse program in the winter of 2005 after searching in vain for play and movement opportunities in Washington, DC that would challenge her 3-year-old son. The program developed organically, as Gersten enlisted the support of movement consultants, early childhood educators, and parents seeking an interdisciplinary approach to kids' movement and play. Vicki, an English Literature major with a music background, developed the curriculum with the goal of incorporating poetry, improvisation, eurhythmics and song into various movement activities. She lives in northwest DC's Observatory Circle with her husband Rick and their sons Gabriel and David…and, of course, Jonah. Her motto is: "Me casa a su Treecasa."
