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.

Calendar of Events

First Day of School

Ice Cream Social

Yom Kippur

Spaghetti Dinner & an Outdoor Movie

1 event 8

1 event 10

1 event 16

1 event 24

1 event 2

First Day of School

Ice Cream Social

Yom Kippur

Spaghetti Dinner & an Outdoor Movie

Open House

1 event 8

1 event, 8

1 event 10

1 event, 10

1 event 16

1 event, 16

1 event 24

1 event, 24

1 event 2

1 event, 2

First Day of School

Ice Cream Social

Yom Kippur

Spaghetti Dinner & an Outdoor Movie

Open House

There are no events on this day.

September 8

September 8, 2021 @ 8:30 am - 4:00 pm

There are no events on this day.

September 10

September 10, 2021 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

There are no events on this day.

September 16

All day

There are no events on this day.

September 24

September 24, 2021 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

There are no events on this day.

October 2

October 2, 2021 @ 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

0 events 29 0 events, 29

0 events 30 0 events, 30

0 events 31 0 events, 31