Deerfield Beach preschool raises $11,588 for Make-A-Wish

The Learning Experience Preschool in Deerfield Beach raised $11,588 during its April Let’s Grant Wishes campaign for Make-A-Wish. The effort tied fundraising to hands-on lessons in kindness, empathy and community service for preschoolers, families and staff.

Why it matters: - The campaign turned early childhood education into real-world philanthropy. - The $11,588 raised will support Make-A-Wish efforts for children living with critical illnesses. - The program also teaches preschoolers that kindness, generosity and service can have a direct impact on other families.

What happened: - Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in Deerfield Beach raised $11,588 during the preschool’s annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign. - The monthlong fundraising effort took place in April and benefited Make-A-Wish. - The campaign included donations, fundraising events and classroom activities. - Center leader Amy Elliott guided the campaign alongside the center’s philanthropic mascots, Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua.

The details: - Children wrote encouraging letters to wish children. - Preschoolers took part in age-appropriate classroom lessons focused on compassion and helping others. - The campaign is part of The Learning Experience’s proprietary philanthropy curriculum. - That curriculum introduces concepts including kindness, inclusion, generosity and community service. - The curriculum uses hands-on experiences to show children that small acts of giving can strengthen communities. - Brad Wahl, chief operating officer of The Learning Experience, said the company aims to provide childcare and early education that goes beyond academics and to create a meaningful difference in the communities it serves. - The Learning Experience said the Deerfield Beach effort reflects its mission to make a positive difference in the lives of children, families and communities.

Between the lines: - The campaign connects brand building with community service, but the immediate impact is educational as well as charitable. - The program gives young children a simple framework for empathy by linking classroom activities to a visible local cause. - The fundraising also reinforces a larger company-wide message around philanthropy and civic engagement. - Since 2018, The Learning Experience centers nationwide have raised more than $11.5 million for Make-A-Wish.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is expected to continue its annual Make-A-Wish fundraising campaign at centers across the country. - The company’s broader philosophy suggests more classroom-based service projects and philanthropy lessons are likely to remain part of its preschool programming. - The company operates more than 480 centers and has over 240 additional locations in development across the U.S. and U.K. - The Learning Experience serves children from six weeks to six years old and uses its L.E.A.P. curriculum and Bubbles and Friends media platform to extend learning beyond the classroom.