Lacey preschool raises $17,896 for Make-A-Wish

The Learning Experience Preschool in Lacey, Washington, raised $17,896 during its April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign to support Make-A-Wish. The effort tied fundraising to classroom lessons on kindness and philanthropy while adding to a nationwide total of more than $11.5 million raised since 2018.

Why it matters: - The campaign turned early childhood education into real-world giving, helping children learn empathy, kindness and community service. - The $17,896 raised in Lacey will support Make-A-Wish and help grant wishes for children living with critical illnesses. - The effort also shows how a local preschool can connect classroom learning with a national philanthropy program.

What happened: - Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in Lacey, Washington, raised $17,896 during the school’s annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign in April. - The month-long fundraiser supported Make-A-Wish. - The campaign used donations, events and classroom activities to engage children and families.

The details: - Children wrote encouraging letters to wish children during the campaign. - Center leaders Jagdish Patel, Nicole Jewell, Lyn Stuart-German, Dana Chung and Azurae Clark guided the activities. - The preschool’s philanthropic mascots, Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua, were part of the program. - The Learning Experience says the campaign is part of its proprietary philanthropy curriculum. - The curriculum introduces children to kindness, inclusion, generosity and community service through age-appropriate activities. - Since 2018, children, families and staff across The Learning Experience centers have raised more than $11.5 million for Make-A-Wish. - The Learning Experience operates more than 480 centers and has 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 company’s L.E.A.P.® Curriculum is designed to support cognitive, social and emotional development. - The company also operates Bubbles and Friends®, an educational media platform with original characters, music, video content and a companion app. - The Learning Experience has been named the No. 1 Childcare Franchise by Entrepreneur magazine and the No. 1 Education Franchise by Franchise Business Review.

Between the lines: - The campaign helps position the preschool as more than a childcare provider by linking learning with service. - The fundraising total adds to a long-running national effort, suggesting the Make-A-Wish partnership is embedded in the brand’s identity. - The hands-on format gives young children a concrete way to understand abstract ideas like generosity and compassion.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is expected to continue its annual Make-A-Wish fundraising campaign as part of its philanthropy curriculum. - The broader network will likely keep contributing to the national fundraising total in future years.

The bottom line: - A local preschool campaign raised real money for wish-granting while teaching children how to help others.