Highlands Ranch preschool raises $5,000 for Make-A-Wish

The Learning Experience in Highlands Ranch raised $5,000 during its April “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign for Make-A-Wish. The effort tied classroom activities to philanthropy, teaching preschoolers empathy and giving back while supporting children with critical illnesses.

Why it matters: - The campaign turned a preschool fundraiser into a real-world lesson in kindness, generosity and community service. - The $5,000 raised supports Make-A-Wish efforts for children living with critical illnesses. - The program shows how early childhood education can pair learning with philanthropy.

What happened: - Preschoolers, families and staff at The Learning Experience in Highlands Ranch raised $5,000 during the school’s month-long “Let’s Grant Wishes” campaign in April. - The fundraiser benefited Make-A-Wish. - The effort took place at The Learning Experience center in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

The details: - Children took part in handwritten encouragement letters for wish children. - Fundraising events and classroom activities centered on compassion and helping others. - Center leaders Mayela Diarte, Kyla Orrico and Ambrosia Lavery guided the campaign. - Philanthropic mascots “Grace the Greyhound” and “Charity Chihuahua” helped bring the activities to life. - The campaign is part of The Learning Experience’s proprietary philanthropy curriculum. - The 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 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 says its proprietary L.E.A.P.® Curriculum supports cognitive, social and emotional development. - The company also extends learning through 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 campaign gives The Learning Experience a visible way to connect its brand with service learning. - The fundraiser also builds early exposure to philanthropy for children who are still learning basic social and emotional skills. - The nationwide total suggests the Make-A-Wish partnership has become a recurring, large-scale part of the company’s culture.

What's next: - The Learning Experience is likely to continue using its annual Make-A-Wish campaign as part of its broader philanthropy curriculum. - The company’s centers can be expected to keep combining classroom activities with community giving. - More fundraising could add to the nationwide total collected since 2018.

The bottom line: - A local preschool campaign raised modest dollars, but it delivered a bigger lesson: service can start early and spread beyond the classroom.