Meet HighScope Hero

Meet HighScope Hero

ELIZABETH “BETH” MELAMPY

A Homegrown HighScope Hero

A native Michigander, Beth MeLampy first discovered her passion for early childhood education in the early 1980s when she was just a freshman majoring in Education, with a minor in Psychology, at the University of Michigan (U-M) in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Beth’s original plan was to work in secondary education, but then, she says, “I stumbled into a course offered through Project Outreach.” This “stumble” would change the trajectory of Beth’s life. Through Project Outreach, Beth was scheduled to work as an intern for one month at the Community Day Care and Preschool in Ann Arbor, but Beth just kept going back to the center, ultimately joining the staff after college graduation. And that’s when she first discovered the HighScope Curriculum model, which she describes as a “match” for her own philosophy.

Beth worked at Community Day Care and Preschool for more than 11 years, rising to the position of Associate Director. Then, after six years as a stay-at-home mom, she was recruited by Gretchen’s House, a family-owned business of seven child care centers in Ann Arbor, with satellite centers in neighboring Chelsea and Houghton, that offers child development programs for infants through school-age children. Beth stepped into a director’s role, running Gretchen’s House Center number six, until the organization’s owner and founder Gretchen Preston asked her a very profound and key question: “What is your dream job with this organization?” 

Beth knew the answer immediately. While she loved working directly with the children in early care, she realized that she wanted to focus on adult learning and supporting teachers to be their best.

Today, Beth, who became a HighScope certified trainer in the spring of 2009, is now responsible for training all 140 staff and teachers at Gretchen’s House, which offers programs licensed by the state of Michigan and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Gretchen’s House has a partnership with the HighScope Educational Research Foundation to implement HighScope’s researched-based curriculum in its classrooms.

In addition to her bachelor’s degree, Beth MeLampy holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education/Administration, Management and Leadership from Walden University. She also serves as a field consultant for the HighScope Educational Research Foundation, facilitating online and in-person training for early childhood professionals.