The world could always use more kindness. With graduation celebrations being put off, we need to come together in unique ways. Join us on the weekend of June 6th and 7th in honoring our five 2020 graduates, or your own graduate, by performing an act of kindness as part of 500 Acts of Kindness. Share your act on our Facebook event page, or with the #500Acts. Let’s send our graduates out into a kinder world.

Here are some ideas to inspire you:

Leave a gift for your neighbor, pick up trash, give a gift card to a frontline worker, send a card to the elderly, do something for yourself, save a “turtle,” leave positive messages in sidewalk chalk, pay for the person behind you, leave a treat for you mail carrier, give someone flowers, paint rocks and leave them for people to find, or come up with your own act of kindness!

If you are performing an act of kindness, and would like to let the recipients know, you can download and print this card to explain your act, and invite them to join the movement.

Here’s how to honor our 2020 graduates:

In Honor of Aedin You Can:

Donate items to the Ulster County SPCA ›
Take your dog for an extra long walk
Give your cat extra treats
Donate to the HVSS Theater Cooperative ›

In Honor of Ave You Can:

Donate books to a library
Read to a child
Buy a book from an independent bookstore
Donate to the HVSS Financial Aid Fund ›
Make art for someone

In Honor of Luc You Can:

Donate to a stranger’s GoFundMe
Donate to the ACLU ›
Give food to a neighbor
Make your housemate’s favorite food
Send a letter to a friend

In Honor of Lucie You Can:

Volunteer for a local food charity
Donate to Sudbury for Student Programming ›
Have a dance party
Thank your cashier
Clean up garbage on social distancing walks
Buy food for your grandparents

In Honor of Ulysses You Can:

500 Acts of Kindness

Here’s how to honor our 2020 graduates:

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.