Acorns Group of Schools has launched celebrations to mark 30 years of providing quality education by unveiling a comprehensive wellbeing campaign designed to support learners, parents, teachers, and the wider community.
The celebration that will be through initiatives will be under the theme "30years, 30 Wellbeing Initiatives, One Community" aimed at highlighting the school's belief that education is about more than academic success. Instead, it aims to nurture confident, healthy, responsible, and well-rounded individuals prepared for life beyond the classroom.
Founded in Kisaasi in 1996, Acorns has grown from a single campus into a respected regional institution with campuses in Bunga, Lubowa, and Kigali, Rwanda, earning a reputation for academic excellence, innovation, and child-centred learning.
As part of its anniversary celebrations, the school launched its “30 for 30” campaign, built around seven key pillars of well-being.
The physical well-being initiative will encourage active lifestyles through sports, healthy eating, regular exercise, and good nutrition.
Recognising the growing influence of technology, the school will also champion digital well-being by teaching learners responsible internet use, online safety, healthy screen-time habits, and digital balance.
The social well-being pillar will strengthen teamwork, kindness, empathy, inclusion, and community service, helping learners build healthy relationships both in and outside school.
To reinforce learning at home, the family well-being programme will encourage stronger communication between parents and children while promoting active parental involvement in education.
Acorns Group of International Schools Board Chair, Mr. Adnan Jasani, said the institution's journey has been one of steady growth driven by a clear vision and strong leadership.
“We started very small. We are not saying we are very big now, but we have grown steadily over the years,” Jasani said. “With a dedicated team led by Ms. Ameena, we have made remarkable progress.”
He said the school's vision is to provide affordable, high-quality international education that prepares learners for the future.
“Our goal is to offer quality education that meets international standards while remaining accessible and affordable for families,” he said.
Looking ahead, Jasani revealed that Acorns is positioning itself as a regional education brand.
“We are already in Rwanda, and in the near future we plan to expand to other countries, including Burundi, South Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania. Our ambition is to make Acorns a recognised regional brand, not just a Ugandan one,” he said.
Acorns will also focus on environmental well-being through tree planting, conservation activities, waste management, and sustainability projects that encourage learners to become responsible environmental stewards.
The academic well-being initiative aims to create supportive learning environments that promote curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and lifelong learning while ensuring learners thrive without unnecessary pressure.
In addition, the school will promote workplace well-being by supporting the health, motivation, and professional growth of teachers and staff, recognising that happy and empowered educators contribute to better learning outcomes.
Mr Jasani also announced that one of the institution's seven initiatives to mark its 30th anniversary will be the launch of Acorns International University, describing it as a major step in expanding the group's contribution to higher education.
“Inshallah, from January 1, 2027, we will officially launch our university. Our goal is to provide high-quality education that prepares students for the future while keeping tuition affordable. We are committed to maintaining internationally recognized academic standards and ensuring that quality education remains accessible to more learners.”
Ms Ameena Lalani, the CEO Acorns Group of Schools said the institution's vision is centred on making quality education accessible and affordable without compromising international standards.
She noted that Uganda has the potential to offer globally competitive academic programmes, adding that the planned university will focus on delivering higher education that meets international benchmarks.
“We have made a significant contribution to primary and secondary education, and now our focus is on higher education,” she said. “It will not be easy because achieving international standards means competing with some of the best universities in the world.”
She observed that while Uganda already has several reputable universities, there is still room to expand access to world-class programmes.
“We believe there is much more that can be done for our communities. Many Ugandan students still travel abroad to pursue specialised courses. Our goal is to provide those opportunities here at home by offering quality education that is internationally recognised and affordable.”
“After 30 years, we've learned that no dream is too big,” she said. “That's why we are looking forward to this next chapter with great excitement.”
Ms. Ameena said the planned university marks a major milestone for the institution and revealed that this is the first time the project has been publicly announced.
“This is the first time we are sharing these plans, and we hope our community is as excited as we are,” she said. “In the coming months, you will be hearing much more about the university and what we hope to achieve.”
The 30-day anniversary programme will feature community outreach, wellness campaigns, educational engagements, environmental activities, and family events, reinforcing Acorns' commitment to developing learners who are equipped to succeed both in school and in life.