Support our Students

Our Preschool and Elementary School

We offer quality education for 250 children (pre-school through seventh grade).​
  • Class size is limited to 25 students.
  • Teachers are trained through on-the-job professional learning and a partnership with the Samford University School of Education.
  • Each student (and staff member) is given healthy meals daily.
  • Art, STEAM, PE, the Stoplight Approach, and chapel are offered weekly.
  • Students are physically and emotionally safe at school.
  • Students are assigned campus jobs and work weekly.

How It Works

Each interested family fills out a student application, goes through a home visit, and finally, the applicant and a parent or guardian are invited to the school for a final interview. We facilitate an academic assessment and have questions for the parent/guardian to answer. Finally, with all of our information gathered, we sit to discern the admissions process. We are looking for families connected to our community, committed to education, in need of financial help, and students who show potential to succeed in our program.

Once a student is accepted they are awarded a school tuition package. Overall our families pay an average of 30% of the actual cost of attendance. No family pays more than $600 per year and some pay as little as $100 per year in tuition. The difference in funding is made up by the generosity of donors who want to see our community thrive. We rely on donations to cover 55% of our overall budget.

Why It's Necessary

​According to unicef.org, "Uganda has the second youngest population in the world. 78% of its citizens are below the age of 35, and this youthful population is projected to double in the next 25 years." The rapid population growth and lack of infrastructure has led to drastically under-performing schools and inaccessible educational resources.
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Uganda's education system is largely privatized. There is no completely FREE education. Even the government schools charge fees to students. Classrooms are over-crowded, and schools are not supported. Only 39% of children in Uganda graduate from elementary school. Without money to address the issues, families struggle to afford any education for the children in their care.

Other Issues In Ugandan Schools:
  • physical punishment and violent abuse
  • inadequate feeding programs leave children hungry
  • supplies are severely lacking 
  • access to technology is rare to non-existent in the majority of schools
  • children are in school 12 hours daily for 6 days a week

What Our Students Say

Many of our students have been at Terra Nova since they started school, but some have experienced other area schools. Here is some of the feedback new students have shared about what makes Terra Nova different:
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  • “We eat a really good diet. I love the food.”
  • “My teachers do not beat me.”
  • “I can share ideas and questions with my teacher without fear.”
  • “We have time to read every day here.”
  • “They give us enough time to play.”
  • “I feel smart in my Terra Nova uniform. I am proud to wear it.”
  • “New students are made to feel welcome.”
  • “We get to hold books in our hands to read.”
  • “We do not go to school into the night. We get to go home early.”
  • “We get to have lessons in art!”
  • “The classrooms are not crowded with 100 students. You can learn your classmates’ names.”
  • “We are not forced to come for lessons on Saturdays. We have time to be free.”