Flourishing requires intentionality

When you open the website homepage of The Forest School, it inspires you to contemplate this question “what does a flourishing child look like?”

As a veteran Forest parent, flourishing looks like my Spark and Elementary School heroes independently choosing to play chess and build imaginary worlds out of cushions, fabric, and blocks during unstructured summer days. This is a beautiful extension of the learning to learn, learning to do, and learning to be core belief that powers The Forest School

While we have held events in the past, for the 2026-2027 school year The Forest School is stepping into a new level of intentionality to nurture and grow our flourishing community. My name is Aeleise Ollarvia and I’m honored to be your first Community Events Planner. But how did I get here and what does that mean?

I’ve spent over 20 years in the hair and salon industry educating for beauty brands, planning educational events, and developing learning opportunities for adults. When this position came open it felt like a golden opportunity to lend my unique experience to a mission that I deeply believe in. As the Community Events Planner my job is part event designer, part community catalyst, and part storyteller.

This year we are excited to present some new-to-Forest events designed to build connection and belonging amongst our Forest community while fostering opportunities to engage with the greater Trilith/Fayette County/South Atlanta community.

Get your social card ready as we introduce the Grandparents Social, Father/Daughter dance, and the Mother/Son dance. We’ll also be hosting some intimate salon-style socials named The Forest Table to collaborate on ideas, designs, and resources to drive the future of Forest.

Our signature events, Forest Curates, will extend beyond our campus to share the spirit, creativity, and values of our community with a wider audience. These experiences are designed not only to showcase what makes Forest special, but to actively contribute to a more connected city/county. I’m especially excited for the fall 2026 Friendsgiving Party and winter 2026 Art & Sole Sneaker Ball.

At its core, this work extends far beyond creating events. Our goal is to create intentional spaces to deepen relationships and share stories to create new long term connections.

None of this will be successful without you.

To bring this vision to life, we are actively building our 2026–2027 volunteer team.

Two ways to support:

Be a Studio Captain

Each Studio needs one parent to help keep their community in the loop. Sharing what's coming, rounding up volunteers, and providing key support to the Community Events Planner.

Be an Event Volunteer

If you are interested in supporting event planning, day-of coordination, creative design, hospitality, or community outreach, we invite you to sign up and get involved.

COMPLETE THE VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORM

Please complete the volunteer interest form here: https://forms.gle/cWvmpG4vMVg2h4hv6

In the coming weeks you’ll receive more information about how to participate.

You can also reach out to me directly with questions or ideas at aeleise@theforest.school.

I look forward to building something meaningful with you this year.