Play. Create. Perform. Repeat.
Meet the Playcrafter Kids Team
Preschool Program
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OWNER/ DIRECTOR/ PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Deanna (she/her) brings 18 years of diverse performance and teaching experience to you. She grew up in New York where she attended Mount Saint Mary College and received her B.A. in Elementary and Special Education with a M.A. in Literacy (Birth-Grade 6). Deanna has trained and studied under several vocal and acting coaches in NY and CO. She’s living her dream by sharing her love of story, music and the arts by being a local theatre teacher, director, and performer. Currently, Deanna is the middle school performing arts elective teacher at Mountain Sage Community School. In previous years, she taught Kindergarten at AXIS International Academy and served as their Theatre & Music teacher, too. It only made sense to follow her dreams of opening a play-based preschool with a focus on the creative arts! Local performances include Belle in FCCT’s Beauty & the Beast, Amanda and Belle in La-De-Da’s A Musical Christmas Carol, Aquata in FCCT’s The Little Mermaid, and Gertrude in FCCT’s Seussical. She calls Fort Collins home with her daughter, partner, and fur-baby, Frankie.
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"STORYBOOK FOREST" LEAD GUIDE/ASSISTANT DIRECTORJosiah (He/Him) was raised and currently resides in Fort Collins. He attended Colorado Early Colleges, where he graduated early with his high school diploma as well as an associate degree in Arts, specializing in business. After working through school and making pizzas, Josiah was eager to find a career in which he was passionate about. Josiah decided to try out childcare and has said that it was one of the best decisions he has ever made. Josiah began working with children back in 2022 as an assistant teacher, then quickly became a lead teacher in a two-year-old classroom. From there, he transitioned to a preschool room. He quickly learned that he adores this field and loves building connections with children and their families! Josiah is also a martial artist and has been learning and competing since he was seven years-old. Additionally, he is part of a martial arts performance team who have performed at various local events and locations: New West Fest, Elitch Gardens, The Lincoln Center, various elementary schools, and more. Josiah is also the proud owner of a personal, in-home, constantly expanding, jungle of plants.
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"STORYBOOK FOREST" LEAD GUIDEHannah (she/her) has been collecting experiences and piecing together the puzzle of who she is for as long as she can remember. She got her start in theater at Debut Theatre Co as a wee lass, and her passion for theater and film eventually brought her to California for a bachelor’s degree in communications media, with an emphasis in acting and production. After graduating, she found herself working as a preschool photographer, where she learned that little compared to the joy of coaxing smiles and giggles out of the tiniest humans. Hannah moved back to her hometown of Fort Collins in 2020, and soon began working as a preschool teacher for a classroom of 1 year olds. Most recently, she worked as a registered behavior technician, helping children with autism and other mental and developmental disabilities learn how to navigate and thrive in this tricky world of ours.
Through all these experiences, Hannah has developed a strong passion for fostering independence, confidence, and creativity through play and secure relationships. When she’s not working, she can usually be found enjoying time with friends, watching movies, or being outside “photosynthesizing”. She continues to enjoy theater when she can, whether by attending shows at the local community theater spots, or singing Broadway musical numbers in the safety of her own car.
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"MUSICAL MEADOW" LEAD GUIDE
Lydia (she/her) found her love for music at three years old when her two older brothers started teaching her how to play piano. After trying a mix of instruments, Lydia has found her favorite to be acoustic guitar! She has played for a church for four years and loves how this opportunity has pushed her to grow out of her comfort zone. Through her experience as a volunteer child care provider and personal nanny, the success and development of children has become a strong passion of Lydia’s. She has had the opportunity to teach and care for children from the ages of one year to 12 years old. No matter the season of life the child is in, Lydia strives to be a safe place for them to grow as individual humans.
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Speech Language PathologistJessica, who also goes by “Jecca,” is a passionate speech language pathologist (SLP) who received her bachelors and masters degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Illinois State University in 2011. She has worked as a speech language pathologist in the school system for over a decade and is the owner of Elation Speech Therapy. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of speech and language disorders in preschool and school-aged children. With speech and language being the foundation for literacy (aka: reading, writing, speaking, and listening), Jecca’s expertise provides a service which is extremely valuable in the development and success of early learners.
Central to Jecca's approach is the belief that children learn best when they are engaged and having fun. Her playful and joyful demeanor naturally draws children in, creating a supportive and enjoyable environment where they feel valued and motivated. Jecca is elated to partner with Playcrafter Kids and join in on the learning and fun!
In addition to being a SLP, Jecca is the percussionist in Fancy Bits, an all-female based, alternative-pop band. She enjoys being outside and attending local, community events with her husband and 3-year-old daughter, Mia Jubilee.
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"MUSICAL MEADOW" ASSISTANTMaitlyn (they/them) is a passionate advocate for the power of creativity in child development. With a lifelong devotion to singing, acting, and fostering imagination, Maitlyn understands firsthand the profound impact of creativity on personal growth. Eager to share this priceless tool with young learners, they have dedicated the past eleven years to caring for children across many different age groups, from infants to middle schoolers, in the roles of church volunteer, camp counselor, babysitter, and assistant coach. Their teaching philosophy centers play, joyful movement, and the arts, with a focus on creating a safe and nurturing environment for every child. They are so excited to embark on their journey as an assistant teacher at Playcrafter Kids and be a part of providing a safe and joy-filled space where all children can thrive.
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Occupational Therapist
Jade Studee is our new part-time occupational therapist who graduated from Colorado State University in 2018. She is passionate about supporting early childhood learning and development through play. Jade’s role at Playcrafter Kids utilizes an embedded approach instead of 1:1 sessions, which supports all children’s classroom and play participation with through collaboration with teachers and play-based, group-centered activities. She has experience supporting children and adolescents with mental health and behavioral difficulties, developmental delay, motor delays, and learning disorders to support their school readiness, executive functioning, sensory processing, self-regulation, handwriting and fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and social skills. Outside of work, Jade enjoys spending her free time getting outside with her friends and family, dabbling in painting and ceramics, and reading.
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR/ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Ashley Salehi (she/her) began acting and singing in early elementary school and hasn’t stopped since. She started teaching preschool right out of high school and has incorporated her love for music and movement into her teaching style. With over 10 years of experience in childcare and 15 in the performing arts, Ashley is so excited to be a part of Playcrafter Kids. She seeks to foster a love for learning paired with an appreciation for and an understanding of healthy, joyful movement in each child she teaches. In her free time, Ashley sings, bakes, and reads. She lives in Fort Collins, spending her time with her partner and their 2 year old husky.
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PCK MASCOTFrankie the dog is a 17 lb Westie/Jack Russell mix. He loves to curl up and listen to stories, enjoys going down slides, and can make any place comfy. This well-behaved, loyal pup loves to make his rounds to say hello and jump for his treats. When he needs space, he retreats to his crate and kids learn to respect his space. He is the owner of Deanna Mae :).
Learn more about our preschool program.
Theater Program
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OWNER/ LEAD GUIDE/ PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Deanna (she/her) brings 18 years of diverse performance and teaching experience to you. She grew up in New York where she attended Mount Saint Mary College and received her B.A. in Elementary and Special Education with a M.A. in Literacy (Birth-Grade 6). Deanna has trained and studied under several vocal and acting coaches in NY and CO. She’s living her dream by sharing her love of story, music and the arts by being a local theatre teacher, director, and performer. Currently, Deanna is the middle school performing arts elective teacher at Mountain Sage Community School. In previous years, she taught Kindergarten at AXIS International Academy and served as their Theatre & Music teacher, too. It only made sense to follow her dreams of opening a play-based preschool with a focus on the creative arts! Local performances include Belle in FCCT’s Beauty & the Beast, Amanda and Belle in La-De-Da’s A Musical Christmas Carol, Aquata in FCCT’s The Little Mermaid, and Gertrude in FCCT’s Seussical. She calls Fort Collins home with her daughter, partner, and fur-baby, Frankie.
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LET’S PLAY! TEACHER
Ashley Salehi (she/her) began acting and singing in early elementary school and hasn’t stopped since. She started teaching preschool right out of high school and has incorporated her love for music and movement into her teaching style. With over 10 years of experience in childcare and 15 in the performing arts, Ashley is so excited to be a part of Playcrafter Kids. She seeks to foster a love for learning paired with an appreciation for and an understanding of healthy, joyful movement in each child she teaches. In her free time, Ashley sings, bakes, and reads. She lives in Fort Collins, spending her time with her partner and their 2 year old husky.
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MUSIC DIRECTOR
Alyssa Baechle (she/hers) earned her Bachelor of Music in Voice from Colorado State University in 2021. She is a classically trained pianist, having played piano for over 16 years, violin for ten, and is self-taught on the guitar. She has been teaching piano for all ages in Northern Colorado for five years, and currently offers private music lessons for piano, violin, voice, viola, and guitar through her LLC. She is also a member of the Songwoods Studio staff as an Artist Instructor for voice and piano. She is a musical theatre enthusiast and has performed with several companies in the Fort Collins community, including the Fort Collins Children’s Theatre and Full Expression! Dance Studios. She has annually participated in the NATS Vocal Competition since 2016 and has placed in her category for both classical voice and musical theatre. When not involved in theatrical pursuits, she can be found reading, baking, or playing with dogs.
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MUSIC TEACHER, MM, MT-BC
Kara Shobe (she/her) is originally from Wyoming and moved to Colorado to study music. She completed her Bachelor of Music in Music Performance with an emphasis in Voice and Flute in 2011. Upon graduating, Kara taught private lessons while working as an administrative assistant for a small regional music school in Frisco, Texas. She returned to Colorado to complete her Equivalency and Master’s of Music Therapy. Upon completion of her clinical internship with Foundation Music School, she graduated in 2016. Kara has experience working with a range of populations including children with developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders and seizure disorders to older adults with rehabilitative goals. She has presented to several local Fort Collins childcare organizations promoting the developmental benefits of music for young children. She has had the pleasure of working at Adam’s Camp, an intensive therapy camp for children to young adults offering a multidisciplinary approach in a recreational setting. In her free time, she enjoys being outside running, hiking, skiing or camping with her family. Kara works for Integrated Therapy of Northern Colorado (ITNC) and shares the roles of music theater at Playcrafter Kids with Mary, a fellow colleague.
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THEATER TEACHER
Nicole Gardner (she/her) graduated in 2020 from Colorado State University with degrees in Theatre Performance and English. She works as a licensed substitute teacher with Poudre School District, and spends her evenings acting with Fort Collins Children's Theatre as well as OpenStage Theatre Company. Her passions for acting and teaching intersect in a love for teaching theatre to the next generation of theatre practitioners. Utilizing a pedagogy befitting higher education, modified to be accessible to younger artists, she teaches foundational skills that can continue to be developed over the life of her students.
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DANCE INSTRUCTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER
Savannah Svoboda (she/her) is the owner and visionary of Full Expression! A Dance Collective in Fort Collins. Her experience as a queer woman, dancer, choreographer, and entrepreneur have all lead her to the mission of creating safer and more equitable experiences for performers through movement, education, and community investment. A student of dance since Savannah was 10 years old, she combines her different talents and skills over the past 2 decades to create their curriculum and teaching styles. Growing up Savannah immersed herself in musical theater, tap, jazz, ballet, modern, and contemporary - taking any class and performance opportunity she could! Earning a degree in Communication Studies from Colorado State University, Savannah went to have an 8 year career in Recruiting, HR, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion before deciding to run Full Expression! full time in 2020.
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IMPROV TEACHER
Heather Ostberg Johnson (she/her) wears many hats as a theatre artist and teacher in Fort Collins, Colorado. Heather was the co-owner of La-De-Da Performing Arts and has taught improv and theatre arts since 2011 to all ages of performers. She is a founding member of Comedy Brewers Improv and has been performing improv professionally for the last decade. Heather’s passion for improv has led her to create many projects such as the Box Clowns": clowns who wear boxes and get into shenanigans & The Story Bakers: an improv show that brings students’ stories to life to inspire kids to write. Heather will always make time to pass on the art form she loves and share how “Yes, And” can change your life and make the world a more loving and collaborative place.
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YOGA INSTRUCTOR
Chantel Akers (she/her) RYT-500, RCYT is a Colorado native and received her associates degree from FRCC and bachelors degree from CSU in Fort Collins. She took her first yoga class in 2005 has been practicing asana for years. When at a Mommy & Me class with her daughter she had an “aha moment” and decided it was the time to pursue yoga teacher training! Fall of 2017 Chantel received her 200 hour certification from Om Ananda Yoga, a ShambhavAnanda Yoga affiliate. In pursuance of her new found passion to learn about the many aspects of yoga, she continued with the Upper Level Teacher Training program at OAY and received her 300 hour certification in December 2018. Chantel became a Certified Children’s Yoga Teacher in the summer of 2019 as she truly believes all ages can benefit physically, mentally and spiritually from yoga. Chantel is a lead trainer for Om Ananda Yoga’s 200 hour yoga teacher program and is co-leading their 95 hour children’s yoga teacher program this summer (2021). Chantel has taught multiple kid sessions at Om Ananda Yoga, a weekly series at Moxi Yoga Works, at a local elementary school, and is returning to Playcrafter Kids, LLC summer camps for her fourth year. In class kiddos learn yoga poses, different breathing techniques, basic anatomy, mind-body awareness, practicing mindfulness, and being present.
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Frankie the dog is a 17 lb Westie/Jack Russell mix. He loves to curl up and listen to stories, enjoys going down slides, and can make any place comfy. This well-behaved, loyal pup loves to make his rounds to say hello and jump for his treats. When he needs space, he retreats to his crate and kids learn to respect his space. He is the owner of Deanna Mae :).