30 Years of LAHC

Celebrating 30 years of sharing expertise and school improvement

In 2026, LAHC celebrates 30 years — three decades of collaboration, shared expertise, and support for schools across Latin America as a leading voice in international education.

LAHC was founded at The British Schools, Montevideo, in 1996, following the proposal made by founding members at a 1995 conference in Buenos Aires.

Since then, LAHC has grown from a small group of heads into a vibrant association of schools committed to sharing expertise for school improvement. This anniversary marks both our history and the continued evolution of our community, at a time when collaboration, connection, and professional learning are more important than ever for the schools of tomorrow — in the region and beyond.

As part of our 30-year celebration, we are sharing messages from LAHC’s leadership and stories from across our member schools. Explore the sections below to celebrate the community that continues to shape our future.

Message from LAHC's President, Patrick Lyons

A reflection on LAHC’s 30‑year journey and the values that continue to guide our community.

Patrick Lyons - LAHC President

As we begin 2026, we do so with a profound sense of gratitude and anticipation. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Latin American Heads Conference — three decades of collaboration, professional trust and shared commitment to educational excellence across our region.

Since its founding in 1996, LAHC has grown into a vibrant network of schools united not only by tradition and heritage, but by a shared belief that education has the power to shape lives and strengthen societies. What began as a gathering of visionary Heads has evolved into a dynamic community of leaders who support one another in both challenge and opportunity.

Thirty years on, our context may be more complex and fast-changing than ever, yet our core purpose remains clear: to provide a space where school leaders can think deeply, act courageously and lead generously. In a world marked by uncertainty, the value of trusted professional networks has never been greater.

This anniversary year invites us to do three things:

To honour those who laid the foundations of LAHC and built the model we now steward.
To celebrate the strength, diversity and collegiality of our current membership.
To look ahead with ambition — asking how LAHC can best serve the next generation of Heads and the thousands of students in our care.

Throughout 2026, we will mark this milestone with opportunities for reflection, connection and renewal. We hope to capture stories from across our schools, recognise those who have shaped our journey, and articulate a shared vision for the decade ahead.

LAHC has endured because it has always been more than an organisation; it is a community of leaders who believe that we are stronger together. May this anniversary year deepen that spirit of partnership and inspire us to lead with clarity, courage and compassion.

With warmest wishes for the year ahead,

Patrick Lyons
LAHC President and Head of Craighouse School (Santiago, Chile)

Message from LAHC's Executive Officer, Sofia Hughes

A look at LAHC’s evolution and the priorities shaping its next chapter.

Sofia Hughes - LAHC Executive Officer

As we enter LAHC’s 30th anniversary year, I do so with a deep sense of responsibility and optimism. To step into this role at such a significant moment in the organisation’s history is both a privilege and a reminder that we are temporary stewards of something carefully built over decades.

Over the past months, I have had the opportunity to listen — to heads, teachers, students and long-standing friends of LAHC. One message has been consistent: LAHC matters because it is personal. It matters because relationships are real, conversations are honest, and collaboration translates into tangible benefits for our schools.

Legacy, then, is not simply history. It is lived culture.

As we look ahead, renewal must be practical as well as aspirational. During this anniversary year, our focus will be on strengthening three areas:

Connection — deepening engagement between member schools and creating clearer pathways for collaboration at student, leadership and governance levels.
Clarity — refining our processes, communications and structures so that LAHC is not only collegial, but also strategically aligned and operationally robust.
Continuity — ensuring that leadership transitions, at all levels, are supported so that institutional memory and innovation coexist productively.

We are building on strong foundations. The model we inherit has served this network well. Our task now is to ensure it remains fit for purpose in a changing educational landscape.

This anniversary year will include moments of celebration — capturing stories from our founding generation, recognising milestones, and marking the growth of a network that now spans almost 50 schools across the region. But equally, it will be a year of forward motion: consolidating partnerships, exploring thoughtful expansion, and strengthening the professional value of membership.

LAHC’s strength has always been its balance of trust and ambition. My commitment is to serve this community with transparency, responsiveness and strategic intent — ensuring that what has been built over 30 years continues to flourish in the decades ahead.

Thank you for the warmth with which you have welcomed this new chapter. I look forward to walking it with you.

With appreciation,

Sofia Hughes,

LAHC Executive Officer