Community Fund Drive

We get many student requests for things outside the scope of our programming budget. Can we add welding and woodworking equipment and instruction? Can we seed an adventure travel program? With your support, the programming committee can meet even more of those requests!

This year, we are aiming to raise $10,000 during our Community Fund Drive.

All donations will benefit Zena programming, and all funds will be administered democratically.

Magic can happen when freedom is grounded in community. Thank you for being part of ours!

Learn more about ZDS by watching our video

Learn more about our plans for the future in our new Strategic Plan

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.