Demonstration Preschool
Located in the heart of our campus in historic Depot Town in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the preschool provides high-quality education to 4-year-old children.
A model of active learning.
Using a child’s own interests to inspire learning isn’t something that you can get out of a box. That’s why for 50 years, the HighScope Demonstration Preschool has served as a valuable resource to educators who want to view our approach in practice, in a real classroom setting.
Simply put, our preschoolers have joyful and meaningful learning experiences that prepare them for school and for life.
Gretchen’s House @ HighScope Now Open
HighScope has partnered with Gretchen’s House to reopen the HighScope Demonstration Preschool on HighScope’s Ypsilanti campus. HighScope’s Demonstration Preschool has been a fixture on the campus since 1971 and, for the first time in the Foundation’s history, took a gap year for the 2020–2021 school year. HighScope and Gretchen’s House are thrilled to form a partnership to uphold high-quality early learning as a beacon for the early childhood community. Gretchen’s House @ HighScope is now open and space is available for sixteen children who will turn four by December 1, 2021.
Gretchen’s House @ HighScope offers a high-quality preschool education that promotes active learning by:
- Demonstrating the HighScope Curriculum in action to fidelity.
- Providing ongoing professional learning and coaching for teachers in the Demonstration Preschool.
- Serving as an innovation lab for research that supports and strengthens the HighScope Curriculum and related resources, assessment tools, and professional learning.
- Providing access to a high-quality early learning option for Ypsilanti and surrounding communities.
Enroll Your Child in Tuition-Free PreK
Gretchen’s House @ HighScope is actively taking applications for children who will turn four by December 1, 2021. This full-day preschool is located in the heart of the HighScope campus in historic Depot Town in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) is designed to be an option for children the year before they enter kindergarten to help them get a “great start” to their educational journey. The program is free to families who qualify.
Interested families should complete an interest form at www.washtenawpreschool.org. If you choose Gretchen’s House as your first choice on the form, it will be forwarded to Laura Griswold, our GSRP Coordinator. Once received, parents will be contacted with next steps.
Gretchen’s House Partnership
About Gretchen’s House
Gretchen’s House is a locally owned and operated family of 10 childcare centers in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a satellite program in Houghton, Michigan. Gretchen’s House has been providing quality early childhood programs for infants through school-age children since 1985.
Gretchen’s House programs are licensed by the state of Michigan and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). They implement the research-based HighScope curriculum and assessment in their centers, and their teachers receive ongoing training in the HighScope approach. The Gretchen’s House philosophy is centered on the principle that children learn by doing. Gretchen’s House teachers provide engaging, developmentally appropriate activities that encourage children to become confident, competent, life-long learners.
HighScope and Gretchen’s House: A Shared Commitment
HighScope and Gretchen’s House share a commitment to high-quality programs for children. Since 2007, Gretchen’s House has used HighScope’s curriculum, assessment, and professional learning. In 2021, we expanded this relationship, with Gretchen’s House serving as the operating partner for the Demonstration Preschool.
