West Melbourne preschool raises $6,580 for Make-A-Wish

The Learning Experience Preschool in West Melbourne raised $6,580 during its April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign to support Make-A-Wish. The effort tied fundraising to classroom lessons on kindness and empathy while helping grant wishes for children with critical illnesses.

Why it matters: - The campaign connects early childhood education with community giving. - The $6,580 raised will help Make-A-Wish grant wishes for children living with critical illnesses. - The effort shows how classroom activities can teach kindness, generosity and empathy through real-world service.

What happened: - Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in West Melbourne raised $6,580 during the school’s month-long April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign. - The fundraiser supported Make-A-Wish. - The campaign was led at the center by Wendy Warren and Marysol Camacho. - Children worked with philanthropic mascots Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua.

The details: - Preschoolers wrote encouraging letters to wish children. - Families and staff contributed through donations and 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 experiences. - The preschool says the initiative extends learning beyond the classroom. - Brad Wahl, chief operating officer of The Learning Experience, said the company is committed to high-quality childcare and early education that goes beyond basic academics and is proud to partner with Make-A-Wish.

Between the lines: - The fundraiser is also a branding and values exercise for The Learning Experience, tying the company’s education model to philanthropy. - The program uses hands-on participation to make abstract lessons like empathy and service more concrete for young children. - Since 2018, children, families and staff across The Learning Experience centers nationwide have raised more than $11.5 million for Make-A-Wish.

What’s next: - The Learning Experience will continue its annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign as part of its broader philanthropy curriculum. - The company says its centers will keep using community-based activities to reinforce learning and service. - The Learning Experience operates more than 480 centers, with over 240 additional locations in development across the U.S. and U.K. - The company serves children from six weeks to six years old. - More information is available on The Learning Experience’s social channels, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.