Jacksonville preschool raises $5,973 for Make-A-Wish

The Learning Experience in Jacksonville-Mandarin collected $5,973 during its April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign for Make-A-Wish. The effort mixed fundraising with classroom activities aimed at teaching preschoolers kindness, empathy and community service.

Why it matters: - The campaign connected early childhood education with philanthropy, giving preschoolers a hands-on way to learn compassion and giving back. - The funds will support Make-A-Wish in granting wishes for children living with critical illnesses. - The effort also shows how local preschool programs can turn classroom lessons into real community impact.

What happened: - Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in Jacksonville-Mandarin raised $5,973 during the school’s annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign. - The month-long fundraiser ran in April. - The campaign benefited Make-A-Wish. - Center leaders Dr. Grace Huxtable-Mount, Jason Mount, Kareshia Perkin, Cynthia Marrero and Trinace Grant guided the effort. - The preschool’s philanthropic mascots, Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua, were part of the program.

The details: - Children wrote encouraging letters to wish children. - Preschoolers took part in fundraising events. - Classroom activities focused on compassion and helping others. - The campaign is part of The Learning Experience’s proprietary philanthropy curriculum. - That curriculum introduces children to kindness, inclusion, generosity and community service through age-appropriate activities. - The program is designed to show that small acts of giving can help others and strengthen communities. - Since 2018, The Learning Experience centers nationwide have raised more than $11.5 million for Make-A-Wish. - The Learning Experience has more than 480 centers open and more than 240 additional locations in development across the U.S. and U.K. - The company serves children from six weeks to six years old. - The Learning Experience also operates Bubbles and Friends, an educational media platform with original characters, music, video content and a companion app. - The company has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as the No. 1 Childcare Franchise and by Franchise Business Review as the No. 1 Education Franchise. - The Learning Experience can be reached at +1 888-865-7775. - The company’s social media links include LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

Between the lines: - The fundraiser doubles as a teaching tool, not just a donation drive. - The campaign reinforces The Learning Experience’s brand around purposeful learning and community service. - The national fundraising total suggests the Make-A-Wish partnership is a long-running part of the company’s outreach strategy.

What's next: - The annual campaign is expected to continue as part of The Learning Experience’s philanthropy curriculum. - Future school-based fundraising efforts will likely keep pairing classroom learning with charitable giving. - The Jacksonville-Mandarin center can build on this year’s results as part of its ongoing community involvement.

The bottom line: - A local preschool fundraiser became both a community donation drive and a lesson in empathy.