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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.

Five SPRUCE staff members smiling inside a gilt picture frame against a brick wall.

Meet the staff

Natalie Horn-Howard

Executive Director · Principal · Lead Teacher

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. This lifestyle was perfect for homeschooling her two children through some of their middle and high school years while participating in many of the classes and events that were offered through SPRUCE! Her daughter and son benefitted from teaching to fellow students at SPRUCE, attending Scuba Diving, Bootcamp, Future City, Forensics and other elective courses, along with graduating at 14 and 15 years old to begin attending Concurrent Enrollment courses through Pueblo Community College.

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!

Stephanie Grijalva

Executive Assistant · Program Teacher

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.

Sarah McDowell

Program Assistant

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.

Kim Harms

Program Teacher

Kim has lived in Durango over 30 years and is a passionate lifelong learner who loves to explore the outdoors. Through hiking, biking, skiing and paddling, she has gained an appreciation for the mountains, deserts and rivers of our region. She loves to travel and learn from other environments and cultures. Her love of teaching developed as she guided her own kids through their education and by volunteering in many academic settings including classrooms and afterschool programs and with all ages at MakerLab. She has a degree in engineering from CSU and specializes in STEM topics. She believes in learning through hands-on projects and in groups that are inspired by personal interests.

Evan Buchanan

Program 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.