Silver SPRUCE Academy Staff
We have a wonderful, educated and talented staff here at Silver SPRUCE Academy. All of whom are here to help with your homeschool enrichment needs.
Executive Director
Principal
Lead Teacher
Natalie Horn-Howard
As a lifetime Colorado resident, Natalie enjoys the outdoors, learning, and exploring her world for knowledge. She graduated from Ignacio High School in 1999, attended Fort Lewis College earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and continued her studies in a distance education program at CU Greeley earning a Masters in Education in Administration and Educational Leadership.
Natalie and her family have a great appreciation for nature, embarking on family adventures, and learning new things each day.
Natalie has worked with homeschooling families since 2004. Her outgoing and bubbly personality create a social environment for students that exemplifies group interaction and allows for ample opportunities for students to engage in educational experiences.
Natalie quotes, "I love learning and I love inspiring others to learn. Each person is unique and is skilled in certain qualities, the key is celebrating each child's special gifts and exploring education with that at the forefront."
Natalie's motto to teaching is organized chaos standing on the box!
Executive Assistant
Program Teacher
Janna Potter
Janna was born and raised in the Four Corners area and graduated from Ignacio High School in 1999. She became certified as a Medical Transcriptionist in 2006 from San Juan College and Career Step. In 2014 Janna obtained a certificate from The Photography Institute in digital photography and became a certified user of QuickBooks. She maintains a substitute teacher license through the State of Colorado each year. Janna earned a certificate towards a Bachelors in Marriage, Family, and Human Relationships through Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2021.
Janna and Natalie have known each other since preschool and connected again through the school choice program that Natalie previously directed. Janna was excited when she heard that Natalie was starting Silver SPRUCE Academy because she believes in the value of school choice.
Janna remarried in May 2023 and currently lives in Utah. Along with her family, she enjoys Jeeping, boating, camping, hiking, and traveling.
Program Assistant
Sarah McDowell
Sarah was born and raised in Aztec, just south of Durango. She married her high school sweetheart and began raising her family at a young age. A true outdoorswoman and homesteader, she enjoys raising animals, tending her garden, camping, fishing, hunting, paddling, mountain biking, and exploring the beauty of the Southwest while catching as many sunsets and sunrises as possible. For the past decade, Sarah has worked with children, offering patience, energy, and compassion. She is the proud mom of two children now in their fourth year at SPRUCE and is actively involved in supporting school events and activities. Sarah deeply values the strong sense of community, creativity, and hands-on learning that SPRUCE offers to families. When she’s not working or volunteering, you can often find her on the river, on her bike, in the garden, or discovering new trails with her family.
Program Teacher
Kim Harms
Kim has lived in Durango over 20 years and is a passionate lifelong learner who loves to explore the Colorado outdoors. Through hiking, biking, skiing and paddling, she has gained an appreciation for the mountains, deserts and rivers of the 4 corners. Her love of teaching developed as she guided her own kids through their education and by volunteering in many academic settings including LEGO League and MakerLab. She has a degree in engineering from CSU and specializes in STEM topics. She believes in learning through hands-on projects that are inspired by personal interests.
.jpg)
Program Teacher
Stephanie Grijalva
Program Teacher
Evan Buchanan
Stephanie spent her youth in the Four Corners area wandering through canyons, over mountains and down rivers. As a young adult, she travelled far and wide to experience other cultures and environments but decided this is home. Along with her husband, they put down roots and began to build a life in the community focused on helping others.
She has worked in the nonprofit realm for the past 17 years, including leadership and administrative roles. Stephanie and her husband established a local nonprofit specializing in care for the unhoused population with a focus on recovery and reintroduction. Stephanie has homeschooled her daughters for over 12 years, while keeping them engaged in community through attending events and joining other homeschool families in local co-ops.
When the chores are done, Stephanie, her husband, along with their four daughters can be found camping, hiking, or whittling away summer days at the lake. She also loves talking through a good movie…or a bad one, much to her husband's chagrin. She loves to organize all sorts of things including people and schedules, often being called a schedule ninja for being able to make it all work. She is looking forward to returning to Silver SPRUCE as a teacher.
Evan brings creativity, technical skill, and a love for hands-on learning to his role as Craft & Building Instructor. Growing up in Durango, Evan spent his days riding dirt bikes and exploring the outdoors—an adventurous spirit he now brings into the classroom, where students are encouraged to build, create, and think outside the box.
Outside of teaching, Evan runs a production company and travels nationally as a competitive shooter. He’s also an avid animal lover, currently caring for several dogs and over 14 reptile and fish enclosures. Whether he's crafting a new project with students or building something in his workshop, Evan is passionate about helping kids gain confidence through making things with their own hands.
Program Teacher
Shandra McClanahan
Shandra was born and raised in Durango. She loves to experience mountain life through hiking, camping and mountain biking.
As a homeschooled kid herself, she is an avid learner, a maker and an entrepreneur. After graduation Shandra completed a culinary business program and started her first business.
When not in class, you will find Shandra running a small sewing business, encouraging her community to repair beloved gear and give life to discarded materials, as well as cooking for those she loves.
