How does it work at ZigZag?

A "typical" day

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Please watch this mini-documentary to get a glimpse of a day at ZigZag.

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Parents drop off their young ones between 9:30 and 10:00. At 10:00, the community meets for what we call “Set The Day Circle.” Everyone gathers to review and add offerings, classes, and meetings that will take place that day. Some of those are scheduled for a specific time and place, others are identified as "See Me," and can happen at any point during the day. These opportunities come from kids, facilitators, and volunteers. 

Following the Set the Day Circle, kids gather with a facilitator in small groups of 7-12 (called “Spawns”) for 10-15 minutes to check in and play connecting games — allowing everyone to get to know each other better, and feel more connected in the community.

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What happens between 10:30 and 3:30 may be best described simply as “magic.” It changes monthly, weekly, daily. The days are full of classes, games, discussions, stories, creation, collaboration, and surprises. It’s all work and it’s all play. Some activities are recurring (for example, a weekly Spanish class or coding club), some are one-time scheduled events (maybe a group outdoor game or art project), and others are spontaneous and unscheduled. Some may even last for months or the whole year (like a tree house that kids built from the ground up over two semesters, or a a kid-created Musical with script-writing, rehearsals, costume-making, and performance).

 

And so much growth and learning and joy happens in the “in-between” spaces of chatting and connecting outside of any formal activity.

 

At 3:00, everyone returns to their Spawn to reflect on the day, and clean up the space they are in. 

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Offers

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Offers are made during "Set the Day Circle" by young people, facilitators, volunteers, and other community members we invite. They vary widely based on interest. Some of our recurring offers include math games, comic book making, flow arts, lego robotics, sewing, field games, singing circles, yoga, obstacle courses, jewelry making, storytelling, basket weaving, ASL.

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Classes

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Classes provide our young people with access to mentors from the community, and allow them to build accumulative knowledge and skills. Young people choose the classes they want a semester ahead, and as with everything we do, they only participate in classes they're excited about. Here's our Spring 2025 lineup:

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• Film Class – Anne 

• Newspaper – Katrina, Keli

• Theatre – Anne, Latoya 

• Documentary – Anne 

• Wrestling – Andy

• Fort Building – Andy

• Listening Lounge (podcasts in a chill space) – Anna, Keli

• Coding Challenges – Dan, Keli

• Band – Matthew

• Basketball – Katrina

• Authentic Relating Games – Ionsul

• History Chats (and how it relates to current events) – Betsy

• Silks Play – Latoya

• Cooking – Ceiara

• Art Challenges – Keli

• Mystery Science (videos and hands-on investigative experiments) – Ceiara

• Doll Houses – Anna

• Changing Bodies – Keli

• Fashion Club – Katrina

• Evolution of Music – Latoya

• Mosaic Mural – Anna

• Soccer – Preston

• Pottery – Ko'alani

• Space / Engineering – Ceiara

• Pottery – Ko'alani

• Festival Makers – Katrina

• Creek Play – Katrina

• Game Show – Katrina

• Escape Room Design and Build – Keli

• Changing Bodies (for male-bodied) – Matthew

• Hip Hop Dance & Culture (open) – Otto

• Talking Circle (for preteens and teens, especially those struggling with understanding and empathizing with others who are different) – Chelsey

• Challenge Course – Andy

• ZigZag Crew Class (committed hip hop dance) – Otto

• Heart Consultations (a space to ask any questions without judgment) – Chelsey

• Soccer – Andy

• Kid Cafe World Tour – Katrina

• Conversational Arabic – Hany

• Art Club – Keli, Latoya

• Band – Matthew

• Culinary Fundamentals – Katrina

• Dyslexia Mentoring (over Zoom) – Willard

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Family Field Trips

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Family field trips are organized for many Mondays and Fridays, the two weekdays we don't meet on campus. They are opportunities for families to gather, connect, explore, and learn together outside of ZigZag. Some examples of field trips this year have been: bowling, Cradle of Forestry, Pisgah Astronomy Center, pottery glazing, rocket launching, snow tubing, Chimney Rock, WLOS weather news, Veterinarian Emergency Group tour, Asheville Murals tour, Pumpkin Fest, Venardo's Circus, various Plays, various hikes.

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Family Meetups & Gatherings

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We want to extend our power-with liberation work beyond our interaction with young people at ZigZag, so we offer monthly Family Meetups. They're a space where we share de-schooling tools, power-with training, and provide a space to support each other in practicing connected parenting at home. We also often gather for pot-lucks, camping trips, connection games, volunteer work days, and other opportunities to build a wider community outside of ZigZag.

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