Dustin Heuston, Ph.D., envisions every child empowered with a state-of-the-art education that transcends the barriers of race and poverty. A pioneer in his field, Heuston is the visionary behind Waterford's innovative educational software and models. His ingenuity continues to extend the benefits of educational technology to all children.

In 1996, Waterford Institute signed on with Addison Wesley Longman. That same year, Pearson Education, Inc., the global leader in integrated education publishing, acquired Addison Wesley Longman and formed a new division, Electronic Education, to sell and support Waterford programs (Electronic Education is now Pearson).

The alliance between Waterford and Pearson combines the commitment of a nonprofit research and development center with the comprehensive support capabilities of the world's largest K–12 publisher, which allows Waterford to focus solely on the education of children.