February 2023 - Zena Democratic School

This blog is written by Frida, a volunteer from Taiwan.

I am often intimidated. I just opened my ears and kept receiving beautiful hearts by accident. Last week I went to help decorate the Valentine’s Ball. Indigo held a box of rose petals and asked Vanessa, “How should I scatter these flowers?” Vanessa asked her back, “How do you think it is better to scatter?” Indigo casually tossed the petals from her hand, letting them swirl from the air. Vanessa said: “Go with your spirit!”

We were about to move the long tables and set them aside. Vanessa reminded softly: “Let the students decide for themselves, they can move those tables by themselves.” The parent holding the lamp climbed to the top of the A-shaped ladder and was about to hang the rotating ball lamp. Vanessa reminded softly: “Don’t hang up the lamp first, you have to ask the preparatory team for advice, and we will come to help after the students make a decision.”

The beautiful hearts are hidden in every little detail. Vanessa does not covet speed and convenience, she breaks away from the rhythm and logic of what adults do. Vanessa is very vigilant and returns the dominance of everything to the students, let them experience all the details of an event’s preparation at their own pace and way of doing things.

Every staff member in the school is very busy every day. However, when they face the students, they still immediately throw away their anxiety and the pressure of getting things done. No matter how small the incident is, they do not deprive students of “the opportunity to learn to accomplish one thing”.

I asked the staff Paul, “What do you think are valuable learning experiences for students here?” Paul said, “First of all, look beyond the framework of subject knowledge to see a student’s life development, where they can freely and spontaneously talk and interact, they are not influenced by anyone or anything to make their own decisions and pursuits. They face their own problems in their own way, and life changes happen naturally. Of course, children don’t know what they don’t know, so, we also share what we know and let them know what other options they have.”

Indeed, if the relationship between adults and children is equal, then they can naturally exchange different life experiences and knowledge. While adults share experiences, children can maintain their own kinetic energy to develop their own unique journeys, without letting children fall into the anxiety and oppression of value choices.

I have been at the school for almost three weeks, and I look forward to going to the school every day to see how each child creates their life from the comfort of their own corner. Every child is showing me that learning happens naturally when there is curiosity and enthusiasm inside them. A tolerant environment, in order to allow children’s free will can lead to their sense of responsibility and action. To squander freedom is actually to enter into strict and sober self-regulation. Children are practicing obeying the discipline they set themselves, loving all the obstacles they explore along the way, and not abandoning the promises they made to themselves. This is the most beautiful part of “Go with your spirit”.

Go With Your Spirit

Parents’ experience of the school is a crucial factor in determining their childrens’ experience of the school. Children of parents who work hard to understand our philosophy, communicate with staff, attend events, and connect with the community usually get the most out of our program.

At Zena Democratic School, rule infractions and interpersonal conflicts are resolved using sophisticated restorative justice tools.

Age-mixing is one of the most potent developmental experiences at Zena Democratic School.

Each student aged 14+ is automatically enrolled in our High School Advisor Program;

Screens are allowed at school, with restrictions.

At Zena Democratic School, a Cooperative (coop) is a group of like-minded students and staff who organize around a common interest, like music, art, or sports.

At Zena Democratic School, the jobs of administration and maintenance are divided into roles called Clerkships;

Every student and staff at Zena Democratic School is assigned a cleaning job by the Physical Plant Clerk.

Students may receive a diploma if they elect to undergo our internal diploma process.

Zena Democratic School is located on a parcel of 67 wooded acres in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in the Hudson Valley region of New York State.

Zena Democratic School is a direct democracy; each student and member of the staff has an equal vote in managing all aspects of the school’s operation.