East Windsor preschool raises $5,000 for Make-A-Wish

Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in East Windsor raised $5,000 during an April fundraising campaign for Make-A-Wish. The effort tied charity work to classroom learning, teaching children about empathy, generosity and community service while supporting children with critical illnesses.

Why it matters: - The campaign turned a local preschool fundraiser into direct support for Make-A-Wish and children with critical illnesses. - The program also used real-world giving to teach young children kindness, empathy and service.

What happened: - The Learning Experience in East Windsor raised $5,000 during its month-long “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign in April. - Preschoolers, families and staff contributed through donations, events and classroom activities. - The campaign benefited Make-A-Wish and aimed to help grant life-changing wishes for children living with critical illnesses.

The details: - Center leaders Sapna Gahlot, Colleen Nordness and Annika Malmi guided the effort. - Children took part in activities tied to the fundraiser, including writing encouraging letters to wish children. - “Grace the Greyhound” and “Charity Chihuahua” served as philanthropy mascots during the campaign. - The initiative 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 campaign extends learning beyond the classroom by connecting lessons to real-world action. - Since 2018, The Learning Experience centers nationwide have raised more than $11.5 million for Make-A-Wish. - The Learning Experience operates more than 480 centers and has 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 has been recognized as the No. 1 Childcare Franchise by Entrepreneur magazine and the No. 1 Education Franchise by Franchise Business Review.

Between the lines: - The East Windsor campaign shows how early childhood programs can pair fundraising with character education. - The national Make-A-Wish total suggests the campaign has become a recurring part of the company’s broader philanthropic identity.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is likely to continue using its philanthropy curriculum and annual Make-A-Wish campaign across its centers. - The East Windsor center can build on the campaign to reinforce community engagement and classroom lessons around giving back.

The bottom line: - A preschool fundraiser became both a community donation drive and a lesson in empathy for young children.