Panda Cares Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Panda Express. Since 2020, the foundation has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to foster academic success among Boys & Club members across the country.
With the reality 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, with a focus on increasing the quality of academic success programming in Clubs. This partnership empowers thousands of kids and teens at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country to excel in school and build their character and leadership.
For the 2nd year in a row, Boys & Girls Clubs of America received its largest single-year donation from the Panda Cares Foundation, with an investment of $10.5 million to help young people succeed in school and life.
With a shared commitment to help more youth reach their full academic potential through learning initiatives that are responsive to the unique needs of each young learner, Panda Care’s generous donation will ensure funding to provide high-quality, in-person learning opportunities for more than 600 Boys & Girls Clubs.
Panda Express commemorates its foundation’s anniversary on August 8th, also known as Panda Cares Day, with a celebration of giving back. Each year, Panda Cares dedicates the day to kids nationwide, bringing joy and fun to local communities.
In 2021, Panda associates across the country celebrated by hosting events at 100 local Clubs, providing youth yummy meals, fun games, books, Panda swag and sports equipment to kick off the back-to-school season with joy and fun! In 2022, Panda Cares is hosting events with more than 100 Clubs and is expanding on last year’s celebration by hosting a virtual fundraiser where 14% (pre-tax) of all online orders on August 8th will be donated to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with Panda matching the total donation up to $250,000.
In 2022, BGCA and Panda Cares launched Panda Cares Centers of Hope in local Clubs across the country. The first Center of Hope opened earlier this year at CC’s Little Village Boys & Girls Club in Chicago, with plans for 34 more to open this year. Each Panda Cares Center of Hope is designed to provide Club members with safe, inclusive spaces to be themselves, including things like a new library of books, computers, comfortable lounge pods, and specially-designed spaces to support kids and teens in learning, engaging and growing.
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.
Inspired by the musical talents of Club youth nationwide, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is expanding our partnership with the Panda Cares Music Program, with 10 Clubs across the country awarded seed grants of $50,000 to establish, re-establish or further enhance a performance-based music program in their Club. This grant will establish music programs that allow Club youth the opportunity to learn and lead through music performance and education.
One hardworking Chicago teen and his Boys & Girls Club got a big dose of hope when the Panda Cares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, chose their Club for a renovation to support kids and teens in having a vibrant, safe, and fun place to call their own.
09/28/2022
Donation to support kids and teens with academics and education programming as the country continues recovery from COVID-19.
06/29/2021
On a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express® is the largest Asian dining concept in the U.S. 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, including the Wok Smart® selections, is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by bold Chinese flavors and culinary principles. The restaurant brand has more than 2,400 locations and has introduced American Chinese cuisine to twelve international countries.
Powered by this global family of associates, Panda Cares® the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, has raised more than $282 million and dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 13 million youths, as well as supporting communities in need since 1999. In 2020, the organization established the Panda Cares Scholars Program to provide the necessary funding, academic support and leadership development to help high school and college students learn, lead and thrive towards a bright future. For more information, visit pandaexpress.com or pandacares.org.
Every day, 15 million kids leave school with no place to go.
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