Name: Becoming (Other)Wise: Gap Years, Democratic School Exchanges, Language Immersion Programs
Start: 2026-12-04T09:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-12-04T10:00:00-05:00

October 2026
School Closed – Indigenous People’s Day

October 12

School Closed - Indigenous People's Day
Community Book Club: Restoring Childhood

October 16 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Community Book Club: Restoring Childhood by Peter Gray A chance to gather as Zena Assembly members. This event will take place in the Box.
Records Clerk Office Hours: Transcript Workshop

October 30 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Records Clerk Office Hours: Transcript Workshop A chance to gather as Zena Assembly members. The event will take place in the box.
November 2026
No School – Election Day

November 3

No School - Election Day
Mending Skill Share: Repair Cafe + Textile Repair Circle

November 6 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Mending Skill Share: Repair Cafe + Textile Repair Circle A chance to gather as Zena Assembly members. The event will take place in the box.
No School – Veteran’s Day

November 11

No School - Veteran's Day
Parent Coffee House

November 13 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am

The Parent Squad invites parents and ZDS caregivers to come together to talk about their experience as ZDS parents and to support each other on their parenting journey. Event will […]
Community Book Club: Babylon, South Dakota by Tom Lin

November 20 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Community Book Club: Babylon, South Dakota by Tom Lin A chance to gather as Zena Assembly members. The event will take place in the box.
No School – Thanksgiving Break

November 25 - November 27

No School - Thanksgiving Break
December 2026
Becoming (Other)Wise: Gap Years, Democratic School Exchanges, Language Immersion Programs

December 4 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Becoming (Other)Wise: Gap Years, Democratic School Exchanges, Language Immersion Programs A chance to gather as Zena Assembly members. This event will take place in the Box.

October 2026

School Closed – Indigenous People’s Day

Community Book Club: Restoring Childhood

Records Clerk Office Hours: Transcript Workshop

November 2026

No School – Election Day

Mending Skill Share: Repair Cafe + Textile Repair Circle

No School – Veteran’s Day

Parent Coffee House

Community Book Club: Babylon, South Dakota by Tom Lin

No School – Thanksgiving Break

December 2026

Becoming (Other)Wise: Gap Years, Democratic School Exchanges, Language Immersion Programs

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.

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

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

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

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.

Screens are allowed at school, with restrictions.

Each student aged 13+ is automatically enrolled in our High School Advisor Program;

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

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

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.