After more than 40 years many of Werner Erhard’s ideas, as well as the many people who have built something from Werner Erhard’s notion of transformation, have become a part of society’s thinking and culture across the globe. This timeline tracks the evolution of Werner Erhard's ideas.
At age 28, Werner Erhard became the youngest Vice President of Parents Magazine Cultural Institute, a division of Grace & Company (child development materials)
Werner Erhard is known as one of the pioneers and foremost leaders of the personal training industry. Having introduced the breakthrough notion of “transformation” to the general public over 35 years ago, Werner Erhard’s ideas about transformation subsequently came to be seen as a powerful, practical, and relevant resource in contemporary society. In 1971, Werner Erhard’s ideas of transformation manifested into the overwhelmingly popular est Training. The est Training was delivered to over a million people in a 10 year period.
While only about 600 people participated in est Training by the end of 1971, it was the beginning of people getting that what is, is and what isn’t, isn’t and you are responsible for your life. People took on making a difference in their lives, their community and the world.
The Holiday Project, an independent non-profit organization was created by graduates of the est training. Volunteers nationwide organize visits and gift-giving to people confined in hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, prisons, and other institutions during Christmas, Chanukah, and other holidays throughout the year. The first Holiday Project visit occurred on Christmas Day, 1973 in San Francisco, California.
Inside of making a difference a group of est graduates formed the Holiday Project. A not-for-profit organization that gave people, who participated in the project, the experience of contributing to others with both time and simple gifts.
Erhard founded Prison Possibilities, a non profit designed to enable men and women in prisons to alter their predictable futures. This organization's programs demonstrated concrete results in significantly lowering the rate of re arrest and imprisonment among those inmates who participated.
Erhard founded The Education Network, a national independent grassroots organization committed to the transformation of education in the United States. The organization provided training in a set of non-traditional conversations that helped individuals realize their commitment to education. The Education Network aimed to create immediate and lasting results in the lives of students who will then impact the future of education in their communities.
Erhard began the CareGivers Project, an independent non-profit organization designed to renew and empower caregivers who are struggling with emotional, mental, and physical stress as they provide short- and long-term care to people with terminal illnesses.
The purpose of the Werner Erhard Foundation was to encourage and support research, communication, education, and scholarly endeavors in the fields of human well-being and transformation, both individual and social.
University of Munich, Munich, Germany: The Basis for Communication
