David Weikart

12/12/2003

"I have woven a parachute out of everything broken." - William Stafford

DAVID WEIKART
1931 - 2003

Dr. David P. Weikart, founder of High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, died December 9, 2003, after a long struggle with leukemia.

From the early 1960's until his retirement in January 2000, Dr. Weikart worked with dedication, drive, and unflagging perseverance to better the lives of children and families worldwide. He founded the High/Scope Foundation in 1970 as an independent, nonprofit research and development organization based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and served as both President of the Foundation and Chairman of the High/Scope Board.

Best known for its world-renowned educational approach, High/Scope remains at the forefront of educational reform and improvement efforts both in this country and in other parts of the world, in large part due to the tireless efforts of David Weikart to find effective means to educate children, help families and communities, and influence decision makers. Lawrence Schweinhart, High/Scope President, states, "David Weikart's influence on children and families throughout the world has been extraordinary. We will do all that we can to live up to his legacy."

While working for the Ypsilanti Public Schools, Dr. Weikart established two of the most important studies of the long-term effects of early childhood education on children's lives — the High/Scope Perry Preschool Project (1962-1967) and the High/Scope Curriculum Comparison Project (1967-1970). Follow-ups of these two studies continue to the present day. These seminal research studies have been influential in the continuation and expansion of the national Head Start program and other preschool education programs.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, December 14, 2003, at the Morris Lawrence Building, Washtenaw Community College, 4800 East Huron River Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either the David and Phyllis Weikart Fund/Retreat and Meeting Center or to the Education Through Movement: Building the Foundation Endowment held at the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan. (Checks with the specific fund designated can be made payable to High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 600 N. River St., Ypsilanti, MI 48198-2898.)

To read an article about David Weikart, "Celebrating a Life for Children," from the March/April 2003 issue of Child Care Information Exchange in which Weikart reflects upon his career, go to the Free Resources from Exchange section of our home page at www.ChildCareExchange.com.

To view a short video clip of Weikart reflecting on his accomplishments, go the the High/Scope web site at:
http://www.highscope.org/VideoStreaming/Weikart.wmv

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