The Learning Experience

by Susan Shalhoub 

Neelam and Sahil Sachdeva, co-owners of The Learning Experience (TLE) of Lake Mary, know firsthand what it’s like to research preschool after preschool and not find the right fit. 

“As a mother, I went looking for childcare locations and a preschool at the same time about five years ago, as my daughters are 18 months apart,” says Neelam. “I must have toured about 10 locations. At the time, TLE was the fastest-growing franchise in the U.S. We got a tour of the one in Lake Nona and fell in love.” 

What Neelam and her husband liked about TLE, which offers early childhood education and daycare at its centers, was the creative way it attracts children – with appealing colors and engaging characters directly associated with the curriculum. And that’s precisely what parents appreciate when they tour The Learning Experience in Lake Mary, which opened in 2012 and the Sachdevas have operated since 2018. In fact, the school’s director, Sheelah Doyle, has been there since TLE first opened 12 years ago.

“We have more than 150 characters to relay various lessons, such as our orange raccoon, Penny Polite, who teaches children manners,” says Neelam. “This approach is more creative than just, ‘Here is a pencil, let’s do math.’”

The Sachdevas have also built philanthropy and community service into the very foundation of The Learning Experience curriculum. Colorful characters are again at the forefront – Charity the chihuahua and Grace the greyhound – and the school raises funds every year for the Make-A-Wish foundation. So far in 2024, TLE staff, families, and the community have donated more than $25,000.

Enrichment for Little Learners 

The Learning Experience is well-known for its educational quality and the way it delivers results with its approach to teaching. In addition to its VPK (voluntary prekindergarten), after-school, and summer camp programs, TLE offers enrichment elements for its students.

Unlike other facilities where enrichment in subjects such as engineering, coding, music, and art cost extra, TLE doesn’t want any child to be left out. Its age-appropriate learning kits – including those for infants – are included in the tuition cost to ensure students get a robust, well-rounded education with enrichment elements that bolster the curriculum. Every student receives the same materials. 

With 228 students at TLE in Lake Mary, Neelam and Sahil are eying expansion in the area. Soon, more families will benefit from the excellence of The Learning Experience.