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

The Learning Experience in Lemont raised $5,000 in April through its annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign for Make-A-Wish. The fundraiser mixed classroom activities, family events and service projects to teach preschoolers empathy while supporting children with critical illnesses.

Why it matters: - The campaign turned early childhood education into a hands-on lesson in kindness, empathy and community service. - The $5,000 raised will support Make-A-Wish efforts to grant wishes for children living with critical illnesses. - The fundraiser showed how a local preschool can connect classroom learning to real-world giving.

What happened: - Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in Lemont raised $5,000 during the school’s month-long April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign. - The effort benefited Make-A-Wish. - Children took part in letters to wish children, fundraising events and classroom activities centered on compassion and helping others. - Center leaders Robin Borowski and Victoria Ankus guided the campaign. - The preschool’s philanthropic mascots, Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua, were part of the activities.

The details: - The campaign was built around donations, events and classroom participation. - The program is part of The Learning Experience’s proprietary philanthropy curriculum. - That curriculum introduces children to kindness, inclusion, generosity and community service through age-appropriate activities. - The Learning Experience said the campaign extends learning beyond the classroom and helps children understand the value of giving back. - Brad Wahl, chief operating officer of The Learning Experience, said the company is committed to early education that goes beyond academics and wants to inspire the next generation of philanthropists. - Since 2018, children, families and staff across The Learning Experience centers have raised more than $11.5 million for Make-A-Wish.

Between the lines: - The campaign serves a dual purpose: fundraising for a national nonprofit and reinforcing the preschool’s brand of values-based early education. - The hands-on structure gives young children a concrete way to learn abstract ideas like empathy and generosity. - The national fundraising total suggests the Lemont effort is part of a much larger, recurring companywide push.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is likely to continue the annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign as part of its philanthropy curriculum. - The company’s broader network of more than 480 open centers and more than 240 locations in development gives the program room to scale. - Make-A-Wish will continue to benefit from future donations and campus-level fundraising efforts.

The bottom line: - A local preschool fundraiser raised money, taught empathy and added to a national giving campaign with a long track record.