Massapequa preschool raises $10,015 for Make-A-Wish

The Learning Experience Preschool in Massapequa raised $10,015 during its monthlong April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign for Make-A-Wish. The effort combined donations, classroom activities and family participation to teach young children about empathy while supporting children with critical illnesses.

Why it matters: - The fundraising effort helped support Make-A-Wish and the granting of wishes for children living with critical illnesses. - The campaign also turned philanthropy into an early-learning lesson on kindness, generosity and community service. - The program shows how childcare centers can pair classroom learning with real-world giving.

What happened: - Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in Massapequa raised $10,015 during the center’s annual “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign. - The campaign ran for one month in April. - The effort benefited Make-A-Wish. - Center leaders Charlize Hernandez and Amy Biscardi guided the activities. - The preschool’s philanthropy mascots, Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua, also took part.

The details: - Children wrote encouraging letters to wish children. - Preschoolers joined fundraising events tied to the campaign. - Classroom activities focused on compassion and helping others. - The campaign was 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 initiative extended learning beyond the classroom by connecting lessons to donations and service. - Brad Wahl, chief operating officer of The Learning Experience, said the company is committed to early education that goes beyond academics and to partnering with Make-A-Wish to inspire future philanthropists.

Between the lines: - The campaign gives The Learning Experience a way to reinforce its brand promise of values-based early childhood education. - The Massapequa effort fits into a much larger companywide program, which has raised more than $11.5 million for Make-A-Wish since 2018. - The emphasis on hands-on participation suggests the company wants children to learn giving by doing, not just hearing about it.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is expected to continue its annual Make-A-Wish fundraising campaign as part of its philanthropy curriculum. - The company will likely keep using classroom activities, family involvement and center-wide events to support future fundraising efforts. - The broader network of more than 480 centers in the U.S. and U.K. gives the program room to keep growing.

The bottom line: - A single preschool campaign in Massapequa raised more than $10,000 and doubled as a lesson in empathy, service and community impact.