The Learning Experience preschool in Parsippany raises $5,308 for Make-A-Wish

Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in Parsippany-Troy Hills raised $5,308 during the center’s April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign for Make-A-Wish. The effort tied fundraising to classroom lessons on kindness, empathy and community service while supporting children with critical illnesses.

Why it matters: - The campaign turned early childhood education into a real-world lesson in generosity, empathy and service. - The $5,308 raised will support Make-A-Wish in granting wishes for children living with critical illnesses. - The program shows how a preschool can connect classroom learning to community impact.

What happened: - Preschoolers at The Learning Experience in Parsippany-Troy Hills took part in the center’s annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” fundraising campaign in April. - Preschoolers, families and staff members raised $5,308 for Make-A-Wish. - The campaign included donations, fundraising events and classroom activities.

The details: - Children wrote encouraging letters to wish children. - Children also participated in hands-on activities centered on compassion and helping others. - Center leaders Juliana Moreno-Betancourt, Elky Concepcion, Aya Tarakji and Al Patel guided the campaign. - The preschool’s philanthropic mascots, Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua, were part of the effort. - 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 activities. - 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 reinforces The Learning Experience’s broader brand message that early education can include character-building and community engagement. - The fundraising also gives families a visible way to participate in the center’s mission beyond traditional classroom learning. - Brad Wahl, chief operating officer of The Learning Experience, said the company is committed to high-quality childcare that goes beyond the basics and to creating a meaningful difference in the communities it serves.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is likely to continue using its annual Make-A-Wish campaign as part of its philanthropy curriculum. - The company’s network of more than 480 open centers and more than 240 additional locations in development gives the program room to expand its reach. - The Learning Experience also plans to keep extending learning beyond the classroom through Bubbles and Friends®, its educational media platform.

The bottom line: - The Parsippany-Troy Hills preschool raised money for Make-A-Wish while teaching children that small acts of giving can have a real community impact.