Meet Shanda Kramer

Owner & Director, Leap Ahead Preschool

Hi! I'm Shanda, the owner and director of Leap Ahead Preschool.

I'm a mom to three wonderful children, currently ages 22, 16, and 10. My journey in early childhood education began as a teenager when I started babysitting. At just 16 years old, I got my first job in child care and immediately knew I had found my calling. From the very beginning, I connected naturally with children and never questioned what I wanted to do with my life. My dream was always to work with children and someday own my own preschool.

Over the past 25 years, I've been fortunate to experience many different roles in early childhood education. I've worked in child care centers, owned a home daycare, spent five wonderful years as a nanny for an amazing family with four children, taught preschool, and then opened Leap Ahead Preschool in 2014. We began in Meridian as a small half day preschool, and today we're proud to serve families from our Boise location near Overland and Five Mile, providing full day preschool and child care for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years.

Although I'm the owner of Leap Ahead Preschool, you'll rarely find me sitting in the office. My heart has always been in the classroom. Early on, I realized that spending my days behind a desk wasn't where I belonged. That's why I have an incredible assistant director who oversees much of the administrative side of the center, allowing me to do what I love most: teach, build relationships with children, mentor our teachers, and create the high quality learning environment I believe every child deserves.

If you stop by Leap Ahead, you'll most likely find me reading stories, leading circle time, getting messy with art projects, playing outside, or simply sitting on the floor connecting with the children. Being present with them isn't just my job. It's my passion, and it's exactly where I want to be.

My greatest passion is building genuine relationships with children. I want every child who walks through our doors to feel safe, loved, valued, and excited to learn. I believe children learn best through hands on experiences, meaningful play, and strong connections with the adults who care for them.

One of my favorite parts of teaching is outdoor learning. If you've met me, you know I love being outside! Whether I'm camping, hiking, paddle boarding, exploring hot springs, or simply spending time with my family, you'll usually find me outdoors. I believe young children should spend three to four hours outside each day whenever possible. That's why creating a preschool with a large natural outdoor environment was so important to me. I love watching children dig in the mud kitchen, care for our garden and chickens, climb, run, create, and discover the world around them.

For the past 13 years, I've taught using the Experience Early Learning Curriculum because I've seen firsthand how much children thrive through its engaging, play based, hands on approach. Even after more than two decades in this field, I'm still learning every day. I enjoy reading about child development, watching trainings, and continuing to grow as an educator so I can provide the very best experience for the children and families we serve.

Owning Leap Ahead Preschool has been a dream come true. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to create the kind of environment I always imagined for children. A place where they are loved, encouraged, challenged, and given the freedom to learn through play, exploration, and adventure.

Thank you for trusting us with your little ones. It truly is an honor to be part of their early years.