A Day in the Life at the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing

At the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing, we believe that true education is not the accumulation of knowledge - it is a collective path of awakening. Rooted in the Plum Village tradition, our school is founded on the principles of interbeing, applied ethics, compassionate service, and community living. Together, students, teachers, and families cultivate a peaceful and joyful environment that nurtures emotional resilience, ethical responsibility, and a deep connection to the natural world. 

Our school is a continuation of Thầy’s legacy and has been crafted to reflect his vision for education and for society at large. We believe a true learning environment is also a home, where each child is deeply loved and cared for, where the classroom is a family, and where genuine kinship flourishes.

Our teachers and staff approach their work not as a job, but as a form of service and as an embodiment of mindfulness in action. With three educators in each split-grade classroom of 15-20 students, students receive personalized instruction and learn what harmonious, mindful collaboration looks and feels like. 

Each school year is guided by the exploration of a Plum Village teaching (compassion, insight, interbeing, or joyful service, as examples) that supports students' holistic development across intellectual, ethical, and contemplative dimensions.

The year’s theme is woven through each school day, shaping the context and content for morning academic skill building and as well as afternoon integrative learning experiences, where those skills are applied. The entire community - students, educators, staff, and parents alike - journeys together through each theme. Teachers and staff are supported by mentorship from monastics, and families engage through a parent sangha and ongoing parent programming that help sustain and extend the practice at home.

Throughout the year, students are also nurtured in their ethical and emotional growth through developmentally appropriate explorations of the Five Mindfulness Trainings. The Trainings are approached as living, breathing practices that support students’ understanding of themselves, their relationships, and their place in the world. In this way, each day becomes part of a greater unfolding: a journey of growing in understanding, deepening in presence, and waking up together.