Panda Express
(Panda Cares Foundation)
Panda Cares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to foster academic success in Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.
Panda Cares
Recognizing that not all youth have access to quality education, Panda Cares partners with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to create opportunities for kids and teens to learn, lead, and thrive. Together, we strengthen academic success programs across Clubs nationwide, empowering young people to excel in school while developing the character and leadership skills that lead to great futures.
Since 2020, Panda Cares has contributed more than $62 million to enhance academic programming, support Project Learn, establish Panda Cares Centers of Hope in Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, and provide scholarship funding through the Panda Cares Scholarship Program.
Through this shared commitment, Panda Cares has helped provide high-quality, in-person learning experiences for over 1 million kids and teens nationwide, ensuring every Club member has the opportunity to succeed in school and beyond.
5 Years of Impact
$62M
in Funding
159
Centers of Hope
2,935
Project Learn grants
308
scholarships awarded
1.1M+
total youth served
15,000+
volunteer hours by Panda Express
155,000+
Panda Express meals donated
Project Learn
Project Learn is the co-branded platform that unites each Center of Hope and fosters learning, character development and, ultimately, career access. Rooted in social-emotional development, Project Learn is based on research showing that students do better in school when they spend their non-school hours engaged in fun and academically beneficial activities.
To keep Club members safe, supported and learning, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Panda Cares is scaling Project Learn to support academic success, reinforcing and enhancing what youth learn during the school day while creating experiences that invite them to fall in love with learning.
Center of Hope
In 2022, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, together with Panda Cares, launched Panda Cares Centers of Hope in local Clubs across the country. Each Center of Hope serves as a multi-functional, multi-purpose space that brings to life the values of Boys & Girls Clubs and Panda Cares by creating a safe space that encourages each Club member to dream big, reenergize, express their emerging identities, and fuel their educational passions.
Through a $45,000 grant each Club refreshes a room in their Club to be named the Panda Cares Center of Hope and adopts or enhances policies, practices, programs, and professional development into their program model, to ensure the greatest success outcome:
- Integrating programs, through Project Learn, that spark joy and fun while supporting the academic outcomes of youth
- Utilizing relationship-centered practices that support youth’s individual needs and creates a sense of belonging, allowing Club members to dream big
- Providing professional development opportunities for all staff to enhance best practices for interacting with youth and providing the best Club experience possible
- Evaluating and improving academic outcomes by establishing and maintaining strong Continuous Quality Improvement practices
The first Center of Hope opened in May 2022 at CC’s Little Village Boys & Girls Club in Chicago and in October 2024 the partners celebrated the opening of the 100th Panda Cares Center of Hope within a Boys & Girls Club. The centennial opening took place at Boys & Girls Club of Estrada Courts – a site within Boys & Girls Clubs of West San Gabriel Valley & Eastside organization — and a cornerstone of the Estrada Courts public housing community.
This year we continue towards our goal of more 400 Panda Cares Center of Hope locations inside Boys & Girls Clubs with the opening of 45 new Centers of Hope, totaling 159 by the end of 2025.
Panda Cares Day
Panda Cares observes its anniversary on August 8th, also known as Panda Cares Day, with a celebration of giving back. Each year, throughout the month of August, Panda associates across the country bring joy to youth nationwide through the gifts of health and education.
Boys & Girls Clubs celebrate by hosting events at local Clubs, with yummy meals, fun games, books, activities, and fun Panda swag provided by their local Panda Express! Since 2022 Panda Cares has expanded the celebration with Boys & Girls Clubs hosting a virtual fundraiser on August 8th providing Boys & Girls Clubs with additional support for academic programming.
Panda Cares Scholars
Boys & Girls Clubs of America is proud to partner with the Panda Cares Foundation on the Panda Cares Scholars Program – a national scholarship initiative that celebrates and supports outstanding high school junior and senior Club members who are on a dedicated path toward a great future. o This program offers two scholarship opportunities for students who demonstrate outstanding character and leadership, stay focused on strong academic outcomes, and are working hard to achieve their goals. Learn more about the opportunities and qualifications here.
News & Stories
By providing safe spaces, educational resources and mentorship, Panda Cares Centers of Hope at Boys & Girls Clubs help kids unlock their full potential to create a brighter future.
At Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the nation, kids and teens are learning holistic strategies for academic success as they develop impactful relationships and prepare for great futures.
Group projects often get a bad rap, but from teaching skills like teamwork and conflict resolution, group work is an important part of childhood development.
About Panda Express®
On a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express® is the largest Asian dining concept in the US. Family-owned and operated since 1983 by Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng, Panda Express is best known as a trailblazer for creating a wide variety of industry-first recipes, including its best seller the Original Orange Chicken® and award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp, which have defined the category of authentic American Chinese cuisine. Each dish at Panda Express is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by bold Chinese flavors and culinary principles. The restaurant brand has more than 2,500 locations and has introduced American Chinese cuisine to 11 international countries. Powered by a global family of associates, Panda Cares®, Panda’s philanthropic arm, has raised more than $375 million and has dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 15 million youth, as well as supporting communities in need since 1999. In 2021, Panda Express established the Panda CommUnity Fund — a five-year, $10 million community investment and response program that supports immediate and sustainable solutions from national and local organizations to uplift diverse groups, including people of color and other marginalized communities. For more information about Panda, visit pandaexpress.com, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, X and Tik Tok.
