River Vale preschool raises $5,003 for Make-A-Wish

The Learning Experience in River Vale, New Jersey, raised $5,003 during its April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign for Make-A-Wish. The effort tied fundraising to classroom lessons on kindness and empathy, while adding to a national total of more than $11.5 million raised since 2018.

Why it matters: - The campaign turned early education into a community fundraiser that supported children with critical illnesses. - The effort also reinforced social-emotional learning by connecting kindness, generosity and service to real-world giving.

What happened: - Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in River Vale raised $5,003 during the preschool’s month-long April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign. - The fundraising benefited Make-A-Wish and helped support life-changing wishes for children living with critical illnesses. - The campaign was led by center leaders Karrah Winans, Manoj Gandhi, Sushil Gandhi, Ajay Malpani and Neelam Kalinani. - The preschool’s philanthropic mascots, Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua, took part in the campaign.

The details: - Children wrote encouraging letters to wish children. - The preschool hosted fundraising events and classroom activities centered 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 age-appropriate activities. - The initiative is designed to show children 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 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 six weeks to six years old and uses its L.E.A.P.® Curriculum to support cognitive, social and emotional development. - 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 named No. 1 Childcare Franchise by Entrepreneur magazine and No. 1 Education Franchise by Franchise Business Review. - Contact information provided in the release lists The Learning Experience media relations at +1 888-865-7775. - The release includes social links for LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

Between the lines: - The River Vale fundraiser shows how a local preschool can use philanthropy as part of its curriculum instead of treating it as a one-off donation drive. - Brad Wahl, chief operating officer of The Learning Experience, said the company aims to go beyond basic academics and create a meaningful difference in the communities it serves. - The program also serves as an early introduction to civic participation for children who are still learning basic classroom skills.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is likely to continue its annual Make-A-Wish campaign as part of its broader philanthropy curriculum. - The company says its mission will continue to focus on early education, community impact and child development.