Meet the Team: Elizabeth Corinth
Free Forest School wouldn’t be possible without the amazing folks doing behind-the-scenes work to keep it all moving. This week, we have the pleasure of introducing Elizabeth Corinth — a mom to three explorers (ages 2, 4, and 6), a once-and-future high school teacher, an anthropologist, and nature play enthusiast.
In addition to co-directing the Washington DC-area chapter of Free Forest School, Elizabeth has helped lead the central organization’s volunteer committees on nuts-and-bolts operations, outreach, and DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice). She has also served on the Board of Directors since May 2018.
“I found out about FFS when another parent in my neighborhood launched the DC-area chapter in summer 2017. I attended the first official gathering and was hooked!” Soon after, that neighbor moved away and Elizabeth stepped into the chapter’s leadership role. She also started dedicating her time and skills to the main FFS organization whenever possible. “I have loved getting to know and work with the amazing cohort of central-org volunteers and staff, as well as getting to watch FFS grow over the years and seeing the impact it has had on kids and caregivers across the country.”
When asked about her family’s nature play journey, Elizabeth responded: “When I first joined Free Forest School, it was mainly in the hopes of getting my kids used to outdoor play so they’d be up for hiking, camping, and other adventures as they grow up. As I encountered the FFS mindset of making space for child-led play, my appreciation for nature play deepened so much further. I realized how the open-ended, unbounded, ‘loose-parts-scattered’ outdoors provided a scope for imagination, curiosity, and experimentation, all of which I value highly. I also came to recognize the benefits to a more hands-off mode of parenting, which I found to be more relaxing for me, and more empowering for my kiddos. This revelation has transformed the way I parent all the time and everywhere — not just at FFS events.”
As Elizabeth knows, not every outdoor excursion is all fun and games. “Sometimes kids get wet or cold or hungry or hurt, and I find myself carrying a screaming kid the half-mile back to the trailhead only to turn back around to find a missing boot. From those experiences, I think we have learned as a family that things don’t have to be picture-perfect to be meaningful and worthwhile, or a source of treasured memories. We have learned that, at times, if you’re willing to persist through a bit of discomfort or a negative attitude, you might end up having a blast.”
Elizabeth is excited about bringing the whole FFS community together and connecting over stories like these in the new Our Outdoors platform. “I look forward to the rich sharing and growth that will come from being able to communicate with one another within and across geographies, cultures, and comfort levels.”