Director - Monica Marcomb
Monica holds an associate degree in early childhood education and has been working in the early-childhood field for about 16 years. She loves to be in nature and began noticing over her career in childcare that children are offered less and less time outdoors and fewer opportunities to pursue their own unique interests. Prairie Flower takes the opposite approach, and she was especially drawn to its nature-based, child-led philosophy.
Her favorite activities in the learning environment include sensory play, art and building with loose parts. She loves these activities because they give children a chance to explore without a goal in mind and express who they are in an authentic way.
She and her family can be found taking walks through the nearby woods and nature preserves, gardening, riding their bikes around town, frequenting the Ames Main Street Farmers' Market and spending time outside in their backyard.
Her favorite activities in the learning environment include sensory play, art and building with loose parts. She loves these activities because they give children a chance to explore without a goal in mind and express who they are in an authentic way.
She and her family can be found taking walks through the nearby woods and nature preserves, gardening, riding their bikes around town, frequenting the Ames Main Street Farmers' Market and spending time outside in their backyard.
PoemTree Lead - Kealey Oldham
Kealey is approaching her first full year here at Prairie Flower Children Center! Before coming to Ames, she lived in Cedar Rapids. She did five years of volunteering and working at a youth recreation program there, which had various camps with mixed lower- and upper-elementary students.
When she is not at PFCC, you can find Kealey studying at Iowa State in the Department of Agriculture and Life Science, where she hopes to gain her Agriculture Studies Major with an emphasis in Environmental Science, Forestry, and Community Regional Planning along with a Minor in Sustainability. You may also find her out at a campsite/trail or on a disc golf course, but most often, you will find her with her friends and cat, Willow, watching a movie or show and eating snacks!
As the Poem Tree Supervisor, Kealey aims to look closely at the weather and seasons, which will help steer our activities and new interests. She hopes to spark curiosity and facilitate outdoor skills like whittling, fort building, bushcraft, and more! Another interest we will look into is the different forms of art and creativity. This summer, she took a School Age Matter course, a STEM training, and an All About Balance course that she will implement into the program, along with activities based on feedback that she gets from the kids!
When she is not at PFCC, you can find Kealey studying at Iowa State in the Department of Agriculture and Life Science, where she hopes to gain her Agriculture Studies Major with an emphasis in Environmental Science, Forestry, and Community Regional Planning along with a Minor in Sustainability. You may also find her out at a campsite/trail or on a disc golf course, but most often, you will find her with her friends and cat, Willow, watching a movie or show and eating snacks!
As the Poem Tree Supervisor, Kealey aims to look closely at the weather and seasons, which will help steer our activities and new interests. She hopes to spark curiosity and facilitate outdoor skills like whittling, fort building, bushcraft, and more! Another interest we will look into is the different forms of art and creativity. This summer, she took a School Age Matter course, a STEM training, and an All About Balance course that she will implement into the program, along with activities based on feedback that she gets from the kids!
Little Song Facilitator - Amy Worrel
Amy has worked with young children for decades. During the 2023-24 school year, she taught preschool with Prairie Flower. Starting in Fall 2024, she is leading the Little Song parent-child class.
Amy is a wife and mom of two girls ages 14 and 10. She has a passion for young children and enjoys partnering with parents to enrich their lives. She runs a small reusable cloth goods business and her hobbies include reading, hiking, table games, crafting, sewing, hosting friends, and watching YouTube with my family.
Amy is a wife and mom of two girls ages 14 and 10. She has a passion for young children and enjoys partnering with parents to enrich their lives. She runs a small reusable cloth goods business and her hobbies include reading, hiking, table games, crafting, sewing, hosting friends, and watching YouTube with my family.