Our Team
Co-founder/Nature Facilitator
My connection with the Conway community started when I began college at the University of Central Arkansas while representing my school as a softball Bear, Go Bears! After graduating with a B.S. I completed a short internship at SMU, then volunteered as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at UCA. My husband and I welcomed our first, second, third, and fourth child in a span of 5 years. I realized soon after my oldest started public school that he wouldn’t thrive in that kind of environment. After many conversations with other parents that expressed the same concerns I started researching and learning about different approaches. I’ve worked at a local gym with Gracie for the past few years while my children were, and still are, little. This is where the dream emerged to open Willow Roots. It is now my desire to serve my children and countless others in this community that are in need of an alternative to mainstream education. I want my own children to attend a school that nurtures their whole selves, embraces every unique difference, and nurtures all languages of intellect.
Amber Neighbors
Gracie Hardy
Co-founder/Administrator
As a mom of two free-spirited, active little boys, I knew I wanted more for them as they approached Kindergarten age. Working with Amber gave us many opportunities to talk and voice our opinions about the public school system, and try to find other options for our kids. After taking a trip to visit a non-traditional school, I was sold. THIS is what I had been dreaming of for my kids. So, we jumped right in and decided to open a school! I’m passionate about helping people find their “spark” and live in it. Having something that ignites and energizes them. I love Central Arkansas and I’m so excited to give back to the community that has given so much to me.
Danica Smith
Literacy Interventionist
We knew we would need dynamic/flexible teachers to lead instruction. Teachers that would seek out a mutually respectful relationship over forced submission and growth over perfection. It had to be someone that sees the individual unique strengths of every child. Willow Roots needs a teacher that not only has experience teaching children, but one that excels in connecting with them and seeks out what drives each child to succeed. We were looking for a teacher that maybe didn’t fit the traditional mold and taught outside “the box”.
Danica Smith is well known in our community among families as she has taught in public school, private school, and virtual education settings. Her hands on teaching methods are well known throughout the community. Children and parents love her for the amount of heart and thoughtfulness she puts into every lesson. She’s just needed a platform to let her creative teaching abilities thrive. Danica is an innovator in education and we are so very honored to have her come along side us in this vision to offer an alternative school option in our community!
Sprouts Facilitator
I am a wife and mother of three little girls, Hadley, Lottie, and Libby, and lover of tiny humans, learning, and the outdoors. You can usually find me in the garden, doing yoga, or chasing my children. (And chickens!)
I have taught Kindergarten for fifteen years, three years at inner city school and twelve years in a rural district. Adding a student-led nature school to my experience is exactly what my soul has been missing! I knew that a world must exist where early childhood learning and play could go hand in hand, and I hadn’t dreamed it would be almost in my own backyard.
I’ve been known as a free range teacher and love to break the mold from traditional scripted lessons. I love big and always remind my students that every step in their learning, big or small, is magical.
I’m determined to help your little one learn, be loved, and stay wild.
I am thrilled to become a part of the Willow Roots family, and look forward to watching each child grow with love and support.”
Allison Hart
Lead Math Facilitator/Lead Seedling Facilitator
My name is Justin Spaunhorst. I’m originally from Arkansas but spent my teenage years and early adulthood in Kansas City until I joined the Military. I spent four years in the Army and upon getting out moved to Arkansas in order to further my education at UCA. My wife and I currently reside in Conway with our one-year-old daughter. I’m extremely passionate about teaching and count it an honor to educate young minds. I love being outdoors whether it be fishing, hiking, or in water. On the weekends you can catch me calling The Hogs or cheering on the Denver Broncos/Atlanta Braves. I’m looking forward to joining this team and am excited to be a part of such a unique environment.
Justin Spaunhorst
Lead Sapling Facilitator
I am overjoyed at the opportunity to join the WIllow Roots family as a Lead Facilitator. Teaching in an environment that encourages individualized, discovery, learning with a project based approach has been a dream of mine since I can remember.
During my 20+ years of experience, I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to teach in Public school, private schools, homeschool, homeschool co-op classrooms, virtual teaching classrooms, and one on one tutoring as well as curriculum development. I have taught ages four through 18 in Pre-K through 12th grade with a variety of subject matter with a focus on literacy, language and history. My additional training consists of 12 hours towards masters in ESL, Project GLAD, Project Wet, Project Wild, Project Learning Tree and Get Lit, just to name a few.
If I am not teaching, you most likely will find me spending time with my family and church family, traveling, working on my latest art project, cooking, creating, writing or working alongside fellow PTO members on our next fundraiser. I am looking forward to a great year and being a part of this dream we call Willow Roots!
Summer Harrison
Assistant Seedlings Facilitator
Howdy friends! I'm Taylor, a twenty-something student of life and lover of nature. If I'm not out camping or thrifting, I'll be home reading, gardening, baking sourdough bread or dancing badly to good music. I'm passionate about mindful living, sustainability and ensuring a healthy earthly home for our children's children's children. My cats, Blue and Birdie, are my only kiddos, so I'm super excited to meet yours!
Taylor Lomas
Sam Ingram
Lead Withies Facilitator
I’m an Arkansas native, wife, and mother of four children. I started my educational career at the University of Central Arkansas and received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2008. I continued my education abroad in Italy and France for two summers. I obtained my Masters of Art in Teaching in 2012 and taught art and Volleyball for 5 years before homeschooling my own children. I’m also an Emergency Medical Technician. My children attend Willow Roots and consider it their second home! I look forward to sharing my love of art, culture, and life experiences with the Withies this year!
Lead Heartwood Facilitator
I am excited about this new, challenging opportunity to serve at Willow Roots Learning Center! I have developed a love for education as a preschool lead teacher, child care center director, junior and high school Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, and an assistant principal. I have worked for the public school system, private child care centers, and a non-profit agency throughout these experiences for almost 20 years. The Lord continues to mold and make me, which is why I hope to bring my passion for education and what truly matters to Willow Roots.
Nikkina Porter
Lead Nature Tykes Facilitator
I was born and raised in the foothills of the Smokies in Tennessee. As a homeschool student, my education was centered on the outdoors including gardening and discovering nature. I taught public preschool for seven years before focusing on my own three children. As a family, we enjoy hikes, water parks, and visits with family and friends. Taking my daughter to the homeschool enrichment program made me believe in the Willow Roots mission and want to join the team. My passions are to live more holistically, to talk about experiences giving birth, and to just mellow out with a sappy, happy book.
Kate Heffington
Lead Heartwoods & Withies Math Facilitator
Hi! I’m Lauren and I’m so excited to be joining the Willow Roots family. I am a wife to Trevor and mama to Rhett. We are expecting another bundle of joy in July. We are currently hosting our Italian daughter, Marika, a foreign exchange student from Italy! Our family lives on a cute little farm in Morrilton. As a family we love being outdoors. We especially enjoy adventuring on the farm, hiking, going for walks, and trips to the beach. I’m a huge animal lover which is perfect since I live on a farm! I also love all things Disney including planning Disney vacations for others. In my free time, I enjoy coffee, reading, and spending time with friends.
I have 8 years of math teaching experience. Growing up, math was my favorite subject and I knew early on that I wanted to be like my high school math teacher. He instilled a hard work ethic in each of us. I have always been passionate about math and motivated to show children that it doesn’t have to be scary. I’m a firm believer that there’s no such thing as you can’t do something but instead, you’re not able to do it YET. Along with that, I believe that mistakes are proof that you’re trying. Lewis from “Meet the Robinsons” said it best, “From failure we learn, from success not so much.” Do we want to be successful? Absolutely! However, productive struggle is a beautiful thing. Each and every child can be successful, the path to get there will just look different for each of them.
I look forward to instilling a growth mindset into the children of Willow Roots while also building self-confidence and critical thinking skills
Lauren Peacock
Lead Nature Tykes Facilitator
I am so excited to be joining the Nature Tykes program at Willow Roots. As a native of Conway, I have spent most of my life here in central Arkansas. In 2017 I moved to Georgetown, Texas to help with a church plant. I spent the next 4 ½ years in south central Texas volunteering in the church pre-school program as the ministry director. While in Texas, I also worked for a local private pre-school. One of my favorite things about working with young children was creating fun innovative activities to enhance learning in their pre-school years. It was so rewarding to watch their eyes light up as they discovered and encountered new things.
I was blessed to grow up in a family with three sisters who easily became my best friends. As young kids we enjoyed going to work with our dad, who is an Agronomist. I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but getting to watch my dad’s love for nature and being outdoors slowly became a part of who I am today. I enjoyed being outside with my dad collecting insects, splashing in puddles of water, listening to the sounds of frogs and bugs singing in the nearby trees and watching deer feed on soybean plants at the edge of the woods. I didn’t really consider any of those experiences as learning at the time, but now I find so much value in the opportunities I was given through those days spent with my dad while he worked. Now I look forward to using my past experiences, my creative skills, and my passion for young children to help them explore this wonderful world we live in.
Anyone that knows me knows that I love art. I have spent the past two years as a free-lance artist creating murals, commissioned artwork, and window painting to help bring joy to others. While I continue to have this passion, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share this love with the Willow Roots community.