Audubon preschool raises $5,119 for Make-A-Wish

The Learning Experience in Audubon, Pa., raised $5,119 during its April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign to support Make-A-Wish and teach preschoolers about kindness, empathy and giving back. The effort is part of the company’s philanthropy curriculum, which has helped raise more than $11.5 million nationwide since 2018.

Why it matters: - The campaign turned a preschool fundraiser into a hands-on lesson in compassion, community service and philanthropy. - The $5,119 raised will help Make-A-Wish grant wishes for children living with critical illnesses. - The effort shows how early childhood programs can pair classroom learning with real-world giving.

What happened: - Preschoolers at The Learning Experience in Audubon, Pa., took part in the center’s annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign during April. - Preschoolers, families and staff raised $5,119 for Make-A-Wish. - The month-long campaign included donations, fundraising events and classroom activities. - Center leaders Irene Stancil and Noemi Taveras guided the activities. - The preschool’s philanthropic mascots, Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua, also helped lead the campaign.

The details: - Children wrote encouraging letters to wish children. - Students participated in age-appropriate lessons focused on compassion and helping others. - The campaign is part of The Learning Experience’s proprietary philanthropy curriculum. - The curriculum introduces kindness, inclusion, generosity and community service through hands-on experiences. - The Learning Experience says the program helps children understand that small acts of giving can strengthen communities. - 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 over 240 additional locations in development across the U.S. and U.K. - The company serves children from 6 weeks to 6 years old. - The Learning Experience uses its L.E.A.P. Curriculum to support cognitive, social and emotional development. - The company also extends learning through Bubbles and Friends, its educational media platform. - The Learning Experience has been recognized as the No. 1 Childcare Franchise by Entrepreneur magazine and the No. 1 Education Franchise by Franchise Business Review.

Between the lines: - The fundraiser doubles as brand building for The Learning Experience, but the practical result is still direct support for Make-A-Wish. - The campaign gives young children a concrete way to practice empathy instead of learning the concept only in theory. - A local preschool effort also ties into a larger national fundraising record, which helps show scale and consistency. - Brad Wahl, chief operating officer of The Learning Experience, said the partnership with Make-A-Wish helps create a meaningful difference in communities while inspiring future philanthropists.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is likely to keep using its annual campaign as part of its broader philanthropy curriculum. - The company’s continued expansion could extend the Make-A-Wish fundraising model to more centers. - The Audubon campus will likely use the campaign as a template for future family and classroom participation.

The bottom line: - A small preschool campaign in Audubon raised real money for Make-A-Wish while teaching children how giving back works in practice.