
{"id":23019,"date":"2026-02-18T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/?p=23019"},"modified":"2026-02-18T16:47:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T16:47:42","slug":"where-curiosity-grows-inside-celebree-school-of-smyrnas-community-driven-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/blog\/where-curiosity-grows-inside-celebree-school-of-smyrnas-community-driven-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Curiosity Grows: Inside Celebree School of Smyrna\u2019s Community-Driven Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; da_disable_devices=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; da_is_popup=&#8221;off&#8221; da_exit_intent=&#8221;off&#8221; da_has_close=&#8221;on&#8221; da_alt_close=&#8221;off&#8221; da_dark_close=&#8221;off&#8221; da_not_modal=&#8221;on&#8221; da_is_singular=&#8221;off&#8221; da_with_loader=&#8221;off&#8221; da_has_shadow=&#8221;on&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<p>We\u2019re excited to share that Celebree School of Smyrna just got a feature in City Lifestyle. The article shines a light on franchise owner Alex Ernst and the real motivation behind bringing Celebree to the Smyrna\u2013Vinings area.<\/p>\n<p>For Alex, education hits close to home.<\/p>\n<p>He grew up in Mexico, where his parents hammered in one lesson: education opens doors. That idea stuck with him. He went on to earn both his bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s in electrical engineering from MIT, completed an MBA in France, and then built a global career with The Coca-Cola Company in consulting and leadership.<\/p>\n<p>But in 2023, something shifted.<\/p>\n<p>After years in the corporate world, Alex wanted work that meant more. He was looking for something that connected him to his community. His wife, Cathie, felt the same way. She has over 20 years in early childhood education, so together, they spotted a chance to blend their love for helping children with the excitement of starting something new with Celebree School.<\/p>\n<p>Smyrna\u2013Vinings quickly felt like the right place. The area\u2019s full of young families, new neighborhoods, and a strong sense of community. Alex and Cathie imagined a school that feels warm and welcoming from the moment you walk in. A place where every child is known, and families feel like they belong.<\/p>\n<p>Celebree School of Smyrna cares for children from infancy through Pre K, with classrooms built just for each age group. The curriculum focuses on the whole child, supporting not only academic readiness but also social skills, emotional growth, and confidence. Those early years matter, and the team works hard to lay a solid foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Children don\u2019t just sit at desks in this school. They can participate in weekly Soccer Shots activities, are introduced to Spanish, and dive into hands-on projects that spark their curiosity. The school also uses Conscious Discipline, teaching children how to handle big feelings and solve problems in healthy ways.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, none of this works without the right team. Alex ensures that school leaders and teachers feel supported, and he keeps lines open so families can share their thoughts and questions. It\u2019s not just about running a school; it\u2019s about building trust with the community.<\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, plans include expanding Spanish instruction, STEM learning, and music programs. Growth matters, but the mission remains simple: inspire curiosity, support families, and create a space where children can truly thrive.<\/p>\n<p>You can read the full article in <a href=\"https:\/\/citylifestyle.com\/articles\/where-curiosity-grows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">City Lifestyle<\/a>.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Celebree School of Smyrna was recently featured in City Lifestyle, highlighting owner Alex Ernst\u2019s mission to inspire curiosity, support families, and deliver high-quality early childhood education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":23027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[403],"tags":[467,479,459,466,465,456,473,462,475,476,472,470],"class_list":["post-23019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-celebree-school-of-smyrna","tag-childcare-near-vinings","tag-conscious-discipline-preschool","tag-daycare-smyrna-ga","tag-early-childhood-education-smyrna","tag-infant-care-smyrna","tag-pre-k-smyrna","tag-smyrna-childcare","tag-smyrna-preschool","tag-spanish-classes-for-kids-smyrna","tag-stem-preschool","tag-vinings-preschool"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/88\/2026\/02\/Smyrna-Road-Sign-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/88\/2026\/02\/Smyrna-Road-Sign-600x600.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Paige Gugliuzza","author_link":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/author\/pgugliuzza\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23019"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23019\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23030,"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23019\/revisions\/23030"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.celebree.com\/smyrna-ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}