Mariah Hoffmann

This is Mariah, our School Counselor and Tea Sommelier. Mariah is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who brings eclectic experience and a deep sense of compassion to her work. Mariah is dedicated to helping people access their own authenticity and self-awareness through meaningful connections and insightful perspectives. Mariah has always been a creative learner and educator. Before her work as a therapist, she established strong roots in Self-Directed Democratic education, where she championed the principles of autonomy and respect for young people. She even dreamed about the possibilities of this type of education as a student at NYU, where she was classmates and friends with Vanessa (one of our founders, find her bio on this page as well, she’s still here!) This dedication has been a guiding principle, not only in her professional life, also in parenting, as she raises her three children, ages 11, 15, and 19. With her unique blend of skills and experiences, Mariah inspires and supports us to lead more authentic and fulfilling lives by creating safe and nurturing emotional environments and supporting personal and systemic needs from a mental health perspective. And yes, Mariah makes delicious, nourishing, and medicinal tea blends, because sometimes a hot cup of expertly formulated tea is even better than an hour of good therapy.

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.