Preschoolers at The Learning Experience in Northport Raise Over $6,000 for Make-A-Wish

Preschoolers at The Learning Experience® (TLE®), the country’s fastest growing early learning academy for children 6 weeks to 5 years old, in Northport participated in the 3rd Annual Nationwide BeCause Our Hearts Beat Art Auction and helped raise awareness and $6,010 for the Make-A-Wish® Foundation. As part of the early learning academy’s first-of-its-kind philanthropy curriculum, preschoolers across all TLE®’s 150 centers are being taught lessons of hope and learning about being charitable.

Tying in Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month, the preschoolers created “heart” art which was auctioned off during the week of February 9th to benefit Make-A-Wish®. Over the past three years, TLE® has raised more than $500,000 for the organization, which grants wishes for children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions in the United States and its territories. On average, Make-A-Wish® grants one wish every 38 minutes.

“The children at our center were highly enthusiastic about creating art in support of such a great organization,” said Dawn Willie, Center Director at TLE® Northport. “Through our unique philanthropy curriculum, our students are learning to apply the basic tenets of philanthropy beyond the classroom and into their home and community lives, lessons that will stick with them into adulthood.”

Further galvanizing the company’s commitment for the importance of “giving,” the TLE® Northport franchisees, Paul Mezzullo and Susan McHugh, matched all of the winning bids from the auction, and TLE® will match all proceeds raised from auctions across all nationwide centers to the foundation.

“The Learning Experience® is a proud sponsor of Make-A-Wish® nationwide and we are pleased to continue to host events at centers to benefit such a great cause and teach our children invaluable lessons,” said Richard Weissman, Chairman and CEO of TLE®. “We were able to raise nearly $12,000 in last year’s auction and we expect that our centers will rise to the occasion again this year to help bring hope to children’s lives and drive change in our communities.”

With the help of Grace The GreyhoundÔ and Charity ChihuahuaÔ, the lovable and huggable dog mascots for philanthropy at TLE®, the philanthropy curriculum helps teach children that it is not how big or small you are, it is the size of your heart that matters. Through animation, classroom activities and participatory songs, Grace and Charity introduce children to topics like the value of helping others, volunteering and donating.

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About The Learning Experience®

The Learning Experience® (TLE®) is the nation’s fastest growing early learning academy for children ages six months to six years old. With a greater national emphasis on educational development during the most crucial years of a child’s growth, TLE places a prominent focus on programs that advance scholastic preparation. TLE® prepares children academically and socially via innovative scholastic and enrichment programs such as the L.E.A.P® curriculum, a cutting-edge proprietary approach to learning which has more than 95 percent of TLE® children graduating preschool reading at a Kindergarten or greater level. To complement the academic portion, TLE utilizes various enrichment programs crucial to advancing learning and overall balance, such as philanthropy, baby yoga, music, physical fitness, manners and etiquette, and Spanish language.

For more information, please visit www.thelearningexperience.com.