Doylestown preschool raises $5,107 for Make-A-Wish

The Learning Experience in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, raised $5,107 during its April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign for Make-A-Wish. The effort mixed fundraising with classroom activities to teach preschoolers empathy, kindness and community service.

Why it matters: - The campaign turned an early childhood classroom project into direct support for children with critical illnesses. - The fundraiser also gave preschoolers a hands-on lesson in empathy, generosity and community service. - The effort supports Make-A-Wish, which grants life-changing wishes for children facing critical illnesses.

What happened: - Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in Doylestown raised $5,107 during the center’s month-long April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign. - The fundraiser supported Make-A-Wish and helped fund wishes for children living with critical illnesses. - Center leaders Jennifer Eckfield, Tricia Smith, Jennifer Patrizio, Jill Golembieski and Bhavana Vyas guided the campaign. - The preschool’s philanthropic mascots, Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua, were part of the effort.

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. - That curriculum introduces children to kindness, inclusion, generosity and community service through age-appropriate experiences. - The Learning Experience says the campaign extends learning beyond the classroom by showing children how small acts of giving can help others. - Brad Wahl, chief operating officer of The Learning Experience, said the company is committed to high-quality childcare and early education that goes beyond academics and to partnering with Make-A-Wish to inspire the next generation of philanthropists.

Between the lines: - The fundraiser doubles as a branding and values exercise for the preschool chain, tying community giving to its education model. - The campaign gives families a visible way to connect classroom learning with local impact. - The center’s work fits into a larger national fundraising program rather than a one-off local event. - Since 2018, children, families and staff across The Learning Experience centers have raised more than $11.5 million for Make-A-Wish.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is likely to continue using the annual campaign as part of its philanthropy curriculum. - The company continues to position early education as both academic instruction and character development. - The nationwide fundraiser will keep adding to the total raised for Make-A-Wish as more centers participate.

The bottom line: - A local preschool fundraiser raised a modest but meaningful sum, while teaching children that community service can start early.