Escondido Monastery to Launch K-8 School Rooted in Nature + Zen Teachings

Tucked into the chaparral-covered hills outside Escondido, Deer Park Monastery has long been known as a quiet refuge for mindfulness practitioners across Southern California. This fall, the 400-acre sanctuary is taking a bold and deeply intentional step into the future of education with the opening of the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing, a K–8 school rooted in nature, Zen teachings, and community life.

Guided by the teachings of revered Vietnamese Zen Master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, the School of Interbeing is designed as a radical reimagining of education by incorporating mindfulness principles, outdoor time spent in nature, and community involvement alongside the traditional subjects of literacy, math and science.

The school takes its name from “interbeing,” a term coined by Thich Nhat Hanh to describe the fundamental interconnectedness of all people, species, and elements of the Earth. To understand interbeing, he taught, is to realize that personal peace cannot be separated from collective peace.

At the School of Interbeing, this philosophy shapes how children learn, relate, and move through their days. Academic development is intentionally placed alongside community building, compassion, and engaged peace work. This model has been developed in collaboration with Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero, a program known for its research into deep learning and human-centered education.

To foster these fundamental principles of interconnection, the School of Interbeing’s expansive natural setting with oak-lined trails, open sky, and protected land serves as a teacher itself. However, unlike most nature-based schools, the School of Interbeing will also be held within an actual functioning monastery. Founded in Escondido in 2000, Deer Park Monastery is one of 12 Plum Village mindfulness practice centers worldwide and one of three in the United States. It serves as a monastic training center and practice hub in the lineage of Plum Village in France, the first Western center established by Thich Nhat Hanh. 

At Deer Park’s School of Interbeing, children will learn alongside monastics, farmers, elders, artists, and families, becoming part of what the school describes as a “larger community organism.” This intertwined education model seeks to dissolve the traditional boundaries between school and life to help students realize, as Thich Nhat Hanh said, that "awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed." 

Each school day begins and ends in community. Mornings will open with children gathering in a circle for mindful movement, settling breaths, and connection practices. A short contemplative lesson grounded in Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on compassion, deep listening, impermanence, or care will set the tone for the day.

Core academics follow a rhythm that balances rigor with play. Math and literacy will be taught through hands-on, differentiated instruction using manipulatives, games, storytelling, calligraphy, and creative exploration. Outdoor play will be a time to nourish imagination, resilience, and physical development through connection with the land.

After lunch, the entire school will slow down for deep relaxation, a hallmark of the Plum Village tradition. Here, children practice rest as a life skill: learning that they are worthy without productivity, and that rest is foundational to learning, emotional regulation, and wellbeing.

The rest of the afternoon will be devoted to experiential, project-based learning that brings academic skills into real-world context. Students might work on the monastery’s Happy Farm, cook in the communal kitchen, partner with local community organizations, learn from artists or musicians-in-residence, hike with a monastic, or engage in environmental stewardship projects. Science, social studies, art, music, and physical education are woven together, reinforcing the idea that learning is interdisciplinary, relational, and alive.

The day closes as it began: in a circle. Children reflect on their experiences and practice “watering flowers,” offering words of appreciation and acknowledgment to one another in a ritual that builds empathy, confidence, and collective care.

“The greatest gift we can give our children is the capacity to care deeply for themselves, others, and the Earth.”  — Thich Nhat Hanh

The School of Interbeing will host a virtual global launch event, "Educating for Interbeing," on Friday, February 6 at 9:00 AM PST. This online event will address how the next generation can navigate technological isolation and social fragmentation through the lens of deep connection. 

The panel features a profound assembly of mindfulness leaders, including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Kaira Jewel Lingo, and Brother Phap Luu, with moderation by Meena Srinivasan. Together, they will explore the school’s bold vision and why this specific educational approach is essential for the future of global well-being. 

Interested families and educators can find registration details and admission information at tnhschool.org.