Middletown preschool raises $5,000 for Make-A-Wish

The Learning Experience in Middletown Township, New Jersey, raised $5,000 in April through its annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign for Make-A-Wish. The effort blended fundraising with classroom lessons on empathy, kindness and community service for preschoolers.

Why it matters: - The campaign connected early childhood education with real-world philanthropy. - The $5,000 raised will support Make-A-Wish efforts for children living with critical illnesses. - The initiative gave preschoolers a hands-on lesson in generosity, empathy and community service.

What happened: - Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in Middletown Township raised $5,000 during the month-long April campaign. - The annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” fundraiser benefited Make-A-Wish. - Center leaders Emily Aguirre, Brittany Maxwell, Eduardo Magliulo, Tammy Edley, Emelyn Ramos and Alicia Antoine guided the activities. - Philanthropic mascots “Grace the Greyhound” and “Charity Chihuahua” helped bring the campaign to life.

The details: - Children wrote encouraging letters to wish children. - Preschoolers took part in fundraising events. - Classroom activities focused on compassion and helping others. - The campaign is part of The Learning Experience’s proprietary philanthropy curriculum. - The curriculum introduces children to kindness, inclusion, generosity and community service through age-appropriate experiences. - The company said the program 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 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 also offers Bubbles and Friends, an educational media platform with original characters, music, video content and a companion app. - The company says it has earned recognition as the No. 1 Childcare Franchise by Entrepreneur magazine and the No. 1 Education Franchise by Franchise Business Review.

Between the lines: - The campaign is as much about character-building as fundraising. - The structure turns philanthropy into an early learning tool, which can deepen family participation and community ties. - The long-running national total suggests the program has become a recurring part of the company’s brand identity.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is likely to continue the annual Make-A-Wish campaign at centers nationwide. - The company will keep using its philanthropy curriculum to tie service projects to classroom learning. - More information is available on The Learning Experience's social channels, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

The bottom line: - A local preschool fundraiser delivered cash for Make-A-Wish and a civics lesson for young children at the same time.