The Learning Experience Manalapan Raises $11,692 for Make-A-Wish

Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in Manalapan Township, New Jersey, raised $11,692 during the school’s April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign for Make-A-Wish. The effort tied fundraising to a philanthropy curriculum that teaches young children kindness, empathy and community service.

Why it matters: - The fundraiser sent $11,692 to Make-A-Wish, helping support wishes for children living with critical illnesses. - The campaign also used early childhood education to teach preschoolers about kindness, generosity and giving back. - The effort reflects a broader push to connect classroom learning with real-world community impact.

What happened: - Preschoolers at The Learning Experience in Manalapan Township, New Jersey, took part in the school’s annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign in April. - Families, staff members and children raised $11,692 over the month-long effort. - The campaign supported Make-A-Wish and its work granting life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

The details: - Children wrote encouraging letters to wish recipients during the campaign. - Preschoolers also joined fundraising events and classroom activities centered on compassion and helping others. - Center leaders Karen Rosen and Rita Dushku guided the effort. - The school’s philanthropic mascots, “Grace the Greyhound” and “Charity Chihuahua,” were part of the campaign. - The “Let’s Grant Wishes” program 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 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 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’s other offerings include its L.E.A.P.® Curriculum and Bubbles and Friends®, an educational media platform with original characters, music, video content and a companion app. - The company 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 campaign shows how a preschool fundraiser can be used as a teaching tool, not just a donation drive. - The program also gives children a concrete example of empathy in action, which can be easier to learn through participation than through classroom instruction alone. - The national total since 2018 suggests the Manalapan effort is part of a larger, sustained partnership rather than a one-off local event.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is expected to continue using its annual fundraising campaign as part of its philanthropy curriculum. - The company will likely keep expanding its center network in the U.S. and U.K. while promoting its early education and community service programs. - Make-A-Wish will continue relying on community fundraising to support wish granting for children with critical illnesses.

The bottom line: - A local preschool campaign in Manalapan turned classroom values into measurable community support, raising nearly $12,000 for Make-A-Wish while teaching children how to give back.