Gerrit Westervelt is a long term Wash Park resident with a passion for early childhood education, working as a liaison with national and state early childhood organizations, monitoring trends in early childhood policy and systems development that impact Center for Child and Family Studies.
Gerrit, you have dedicated your time to Early Childhood Education. Can you tell us how this passion of yours developed?
Like most people who work in this space, I love little kids – but my expertise is in public policy and how to make systems work better for kids and families. In the late 90’s I was working on K-12 education policy and reform for the Education Commission of the States here in Denver, and one of my responsibilities was to help develop and staff the Chairman’s Agenda every year. The incoming chair, Governor Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, wanted to focus on early childhood education, and there was no one on the staff with that expertise. So, I started digging into it, and I got hooked.
At the time, there was an explosion of research and media coverage about early brain development, and it was clear that the first few years of a child’s life were the most impactful, really establishing the emotional and cognitive foundation for later learning and success. I then went on to run a start-up nonprofit then called Educare Colorado, which was creating the nation’s first comprehensive system to measure and improve the quality of early care and education programs. I was fortunate to be able to learn from some real pioneers like Anna Jo Haynes, Doug Price and Meera Mani, who were the visionaries who created the organization. And ever since, I’ve been trying to help states, foundations and nonprofits improve how they serve young kids and their families. I now work at WestEd which is a large research and service organization based in San Francisco.
You raised your own two boys in Wash Park. What brought you to the neighborhood?
I had lived in Wash Park in the mid-90’s before moving to Conifer for a number of years to get a taste of the “mountain lifestyle,” which was great (except for the long commute). When Evan and Aidan were born, their mom, Teresa and I realized that it would be better for them to be closer to all of the things that Denver has to offer for kids. Just taking them to the zoo was an all-day excursion! The boys have lived here since they were two, and we love the park, the Cherry Creek bike trail, and hitting the farmer’s markets on the weekend.
What advice can you give parents of young kids regarding growth and education?
When the boys were really young, I was at an early childhood conference and heard a captivating speaker named Dr. Lillian Katz. I went up to her after her talk and said I was a new father — what advice did she have? She looked me right in the eye and said “Get down on the floor with them – as much as you can!” It wasn’t until I started making that a habit that I realized what she was really saying: that connection is what matters, that meeting little kids where they are (literally and figuratively) matters, and paying close attention matters. Too often as parents of young kids we are multitasking, feeling stretched thin, exhausted. Your care and gentle attention is the best gift you can give your child – so I would say, load the dishwasher later, get down on the floor with your child, pay close attention, and see what develops.
When you are not tirelessly working with WestEd, how do you spend your free time?
I moved here from upstate NY in 1992, and immediately got into skiing and biking, which are still big passions of mine. And the boys play lacrosse now, which I really enjoy watching. And I’m a news and politics junkie so when I’m not moving around I’m probably on the couch, reading.
What are your favorite spots in and around the neighborhood?
I’ve been going to the Wash Park Grill since the early 90’s, so that’s a standby for me. I also like their taco bar, Agave, and of course Devil’s Food. But the park is the real draw for me – there’s nothing like a morning walk or bike ride – as long as you can dodge the geese.
Thank you for taking the time to tell us a bit about yourself. We’ll see you around the park!