Education Insights
At Luminos, our vision is a world where no child is ever denied the chance to learn. While our core focus is our award-winning Second Chance program (e.g. helping vulnerable children experience joyful learning and learn to read), the Luminos Fund is also working across the education sector at-large by bringing together diverse players in the education space and sharing their insights with the world. We believe we are all stronger together, and that we each have a wealth of experience to share.
Through our mission, we are working to help the world achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” See below for a collection of our own research in the field to ensure we are pursuing the best approach.
Latest Series:
A multi-week video series featuring interviews with education leaders from across government, the private sector, and civil society. Over the course of six weeks, we featured 11 guest speakers, each bringing their experience to bear on the current COVID-19 crisis.
Featured by the Center for Global Development
The “Diaries from the Frontline” series examines which children are most at risk of being left behind after the COVID-19 crisis, and how education organizations like the Luminos Fund are pivoting to respond.
Previous Events
Webinar | Beyond the Reading Wars: Insights from Emily Hanford & Dr. Benjamin Piper
On May 23, 2023 the Luminos Fund convened leading education experts to discuss the U.S. reading wars and refocus attention on the crucial task of teaching children how to read. This was the second webinar in the Luminos Method series, which also marked the launch of our latest Luminos Method element: Phonics for First-Generation Readers.
Webinar | The Power of Self-Belief to Accelerate Foundational Learning
How do you help children who have fallen behind become confident, successful, life-long learners? On November 30, 2022, we explored how children form beliefs about their own abilities, how this affects their development in school, and strategies to help students build their confidence. This webinar was the first in our Luminos Method series, focused on Identity & Self-Belief.
Teachers Leading in a Post-COVID World
On September 22, 2022, the Luminos Fund’s sixth annual U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) week event discussed innovative strategies to tackle the global teacher shortage and ensure teachers have the tools and training they need to help children become successful learners in a post-COVID world.
Webinar | Getting Ghana Back to School
Luminos Fund’s fifth annual U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) week event, “Getting Ghana Back to School,” centered on the education challenges posed by COVID-19 in Ghana. Luminos hosted Ghanaian luminaries and education leaders on September 23, 2021 as they discussed how to unlock Ghana’s full educational potential once again.
Webinar | Ethiopia Rising
In March 2021, Luminos hosted a discussion on the current and future state of education in Ethiopia as it navigates beyond COVID-19. Guest speakers included Minister Mathewos and Dr. Pauline Rose, Professor of International Education and Director of the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre, University of Cambridge.
Key External Evaluations & Studies
2018 Longitudinal Study (Summary)
(University of Sussex)
The most recent longitudinal study released in 2018 by the University of Sussex Centre for International Education tracked 625 children who participated in Luminos’ 10-month Second Chance program in 2011, completed it, and then transitioned to government schools. Their progress was compared against 1,250 government students.
Learning Loss, Trauma, and Resilience in Tigray Report (Summary)
(Institute for Education, Health, and Development at Addis Ababa University)
The Luminos Fund commissioned an independent study to examine learning loss, trauma, and resilience among primary-school-aged children in Tigray, a region in northern Ethiopia, in the wake of COVID-19 school closures and two years of civil war. This report summarizes the independent study.
Liberia 2021-22 Endline Evaluation Report
(Q&A Services)
During the 2021-22 school year, the Luminos program increased children’s oral reading fluency (ORF) by 28 correct words per minute (CWPM), with girls progressing 3 CWPM more than boys. This report summarizes results from the 2021-22 Luminos program endline evaluation conducted by Q&A Services.
2020 Report Synthesis (Out-of-School Children in Ethiopia)
(Ministry of Education, Ethiopia)
The Ministry of Education of Ethiopia, with financial support from the Luminos Fund, has conducted a study on the status of out-of-school children (OOSC). This 2020 Report Synthesis contains a quantitative analysis on OOSC before the COVID-19 pandemic using the first three dimensions of the Five Dimensions of Exclusion framework.
Learning Through Play
(International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research)
In 2017, Dr. Susan Rauchwerk, Associate Professor at Lesley University, authored a full analysis of the elements of play in the Second Chance pedagogy and their positive impact on students’ learning, drawing from a broader program evaluation conducted by the University of Sussex.
Catch up with Luminos!
Subscribe to our quarterly Spotlight newsletter and get the latest news, blogs, and more.
The Luminos Fund is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt charitable organization registered in the United States (EIN 36-4817073).