students served

teachers trained

total community members engaged

Luminos in Liberia

Since 2016, Luminos has worked with community-based organizations and the government of Liberia to scale our catch-up education program, reaching more than 63,700 vulnerable children.

Meet Marie & William, Luminos alums in Liberia:

Liberia at a Glance

Even before COVID-19, Liberia’s education sector was badly damaged by legacies of Ebola and civil war. While the government has taken many important steps to improve the quality of teaching and learning, there are more than 371,000 children missing out on an education.

Poverty in Liberia remains a considerable barrier to learning, with more than half of the population, 50.9 percent, living below the national poverty line.

Map showing the country of Liberia, located in West Africa.

Luminos students practice writing the alphabet in notebooks. (Photo: John Healey for the Luminos Fund)

A Luminos student uses finger tracking to follow along in a story as she reads during a weekly reading fluency test. (Photo: Mara Chan/Luminos Fund)

Students complete a group project together, creating a poster to share with the class. (Photo: Mara Chan/Luminos Fund)

“I like coming to learn!” says Luminos student Martu. “I like everything in school!” (Photo: Mara Chan/Luminos Fund)

Students take a break to play outside with their teacher. (Photo: Ahmed Jallanzo for the Luminos Fund)

Like many of his students, Luminos teacher Mohammed was forced to drop out of school to help support his family as a child, and often shares his story of going back to school as an older student with his students to encourage them. (Photo: Mara Chan/Luminos Fund)

Luminos teacher Mohammed helps a student during class. (Photo: Mara Chan/Luminos Fund)

Chanting, singing, and dancing are woven into lessons to help students learn and retain new information. (Photo: John Healey for the Luminos Fund)

Luminos student Stephen’s favorite thing about school is learning to read because “when you are able to read you can do many things in life.” When he grows up, Stephen wants to build homes for a living and eventually help his mother move into the city. (Photo: Ahmed Jallanzo for the Luminos Fund)

What We Do in Liberia

Through our partnerships with community-based organizations, Luminos is weaving together our global best practices with local insights and experience. This ensures both high impact and high ownership of our work.

We have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Education, representing our joint commitment to ensuring all children can catch up to grade level, reintegrate into government schools, and prepare for lifelong learning.

Our classes of 30 students run five days a week for 10 months, covering the first three grades of school. We work with local publishers to incorporate Liberian stories into the curriculum, and we provide a much-needed school lunch for each student.

Previous external results show that Luminos students progress from not knowing the alphabet to reading short stories within just 10 months.

“The rate at which Luminos students are performing is exceptional… I want to applaud Luminos Fund for the tremendous work being done in improving results in education in Liberia.”

Minister Tarnue Marwolo Bongolee
Assistant Minister for Student Personnel Services, Liberia

The 2025-2026 School Year

classrooms

students

counties

community partners

Reports & Evaluations

2024-25 Luminos Liberia Endline Evaluation Report

(The Khana Group)

2023-24 Luminos Program Impact Evaluation - Part 2

(IDinsight)

2022-23 Luminos Program Impact Evaluation - Part 1

(IDinsight)

2022 Luminos Liberia Endline Evaluation Report

(Q&A Services)

2021 Second Chance Liberia Endline Evaluation Report

(Q&A Services)

2019 Liberia Teaching & Learning Quality Evaluation

(University of Sussex)

Luminos Classroom Materials

​The Luminos Fund is proud to share our comprehensive suite of teaching and learning materials. These materials equip out-of-school, primary-aged children with strong foundational literacy and numeracy skills using evidence-based, structured pedagogy aligned with the Liberian National Curriculum.

Organized into three phases, the materials enable learners to progress through the equivalent of three years of primary school in just ten months through daily instruction, continuous assessment, and targeted support. Each phase builds progressively—from early phonics and basic numeracy to independent reading, writing, and problem-solving—preparing students to transition into Grade 3 or 4 in government schools. In every phase, lessons are delivered five days per week, eight hours per day. Every fifth day includes structured formative assessments in both literacy and numeracy, along with dedicated time to review and reinforce the content taught during the week.

The materials for each phase include a Teacher’s Guide with daily lesson plans, Running Record Stories (for formative assessment and weekly target setting), Decodable Readers, and Read Aloud stories. Designed to align with the Liberian National Curriculum and informed by the science of teaching, the materials provide teachers with evidence-aligned strategies that make teaching and learning active, engaging, joyful, and responsive to each student’s needs.

To download the materials, please fill out the form below.

Phase 1

Builds early foundational literacy and numeracy skills, including oral language development, basic phonics, word blending, everyday vocabulary use, early writing, counting to 200, and addition and subtraction. (14 weeks)

Phase 2

Deepens core reading, writing, and math understanding as learners master letter sounds; read and write simple sentences and stories; work with numbers up to 1,000; begin multiplication and shape recognition; and understand measurement, time, and currency. (12 weeks)

Phase 3

Prepares learners for independent reading, writing, and confident mathematical problem-solving, including work with more complex texts, regrouping in addition and subtraction, word problems, application of multiplication facts, and an introduction to division. (12 weeks)

Note: The Read Alouds and Student Reader titles referenced in these materials are not included and are available from the original publisher, Bishop John Collins Teachers College, part of Stella Maris Polytechnic University in Liberia.

Classroom Materials

By entering your email address below, you will be able to download the materials and will be automatically subscribed to our quarterly Spotlight newsletter, where we share Luminos’ latest news, blogs, and evidence on joyful learning. All materials are shared for educational, non-commercial use only. They must be properly attributed to The Luminos Fund. Reproduction, adaptation, or distribution for commercial purposes is not permitted.

Meet our Liberia Team

Senior Director of Programs, West Africa

Donnalee Donaldson
Country Manager, Liberia

James Earl Kiawoin
Program Associate, Liberia

Emmanuel Massaley
Program Coordinator, Liberia

G. Alphanso Menyon
Program Associate, Liberia

Musu N. Moore
Program Manager, Liberia

Morrison Morris
Program Associate, Liberia

Alex Debrown Seh
Finance and Data Officer, Liberia

Lexanndine Taylor
Program Associate, Liberia

David Toe
Program Associate, Liberia

Folley J. Toe
Senior Program Manager & Global Safeguarding Lead, Liberia

Corina Wornee

Senior Director of Programs, West Africa

Donnalee Donaldson

Donnalee Donaldson is the Senior Director of Programs, West Africa at the Luminos Fund where she helps lead large-scale government advisory projects and oversees the adaptation of various Luminos program elements to impact teachers and learners in the region. She has expertise in collaborating with governments on the design and implementation of national education reforms, and integrating technology into education. Prior to joining Luminos, Donnalee served as the Rwanda Country Director at Educate! where she co-designed and scaled a national skills-based secondary education reform program. She was also a founding team member at Kepler, where she played a key role in designing blended learning courses for multilingual learners and managed the launch of Rwanda’s first university in a refugee camp. She has been recognized as an education sector changemaker by UNESCO, Ashoka, and UNLEASH.   

Donnalee is also an attorney and began her career as a litigator for the New York City Law Department. She holds a BA from Seton Hall University, a JD from the Emory University School of Law, and a certificate in Higher Education in Emergencies from the University of Geneva. Donnalee is proudly Jamaican and passionate about contributing to the advancement of the African diaspora.   

Country Manager, Liberia

James Earl Kiawoin

James Earl Kiawoin is the Country Manager for the Luminos Fund in Liberia where he manages day-to-day operations, overall program delivery, government and stakeholder engagement, and supports staff development. Previously, James worked as a Strategy Consultant at Dalberg Advisors in Rwanda where he completed projects on higher education financing and digital ecosystem development including e-government services. 

James began his career at Last Mile Health in a strategic advisory role with the Liberian Ministry of Health. There, he worked to develop, finance, and scale a national community health workers program that delivered health care to 1.2 million people in rural, hard-to-reach areas. James has vast experience leading initiatives in Liberia and previously held leadership roles at the Khana group, LEAD Monrovia Football Academy, and SMART Liberia, which he co-founded. 

James holds an MPA with a focus on international development from the school of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and a BA in Political Science from Colorado College. 

Program Associate, Liberia

Emmanuel Massaley

Emmanuel is a Program Associate for the Luminos Fund in Liberia, ensuring the smooth operation of our Second Chance program. Alongside our Liberia team, Emmanuel works to ensure classrooms have a positive impact on students and collaborates with our partners on the ground. Prior to becoming a Program Associate, Emmanuel served as a classroom teacher for Luminos and has years of direct experience working with children in Luminos classrooms and creating an atmosphere of joyful learning. Emmanuel’s passion for education stems from his experience as a child during Liberia’s civil war, a 14-year conflict which prevented him from attending school. As a result of the war, Emmanuel experienced the difficulty of being an over-aged student first-hand.

Program Coordinator, Liberia

G. Alphanso Menyon

G. Alphanso Menyon is a Program Coordinator for Luminos in Liberia where he leads teacher trainings on phonics and best practices for teaching reading and comprehension. Alphanso also coaches program supervisors and teachers. An experienced educator, Alphanso served for five years at the Heritage Early Learning Center as the principal. Previously, he taught at Spiritan Academy – A Catholic Demonstration School, Stella Maris Polytechnic, and in the World Wide Missions School System. He also tutored at the American International School of Monrovia (AIMS). Alphanso serves as the Chief Learning Officer of Logic, a network of teachers that developed a phonics and reading program for students and teachers who still struggle to read. Alphanso holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and lives in Monrovia with his wife and son. In his free time, Alphanso enjoys singing gospel music with his family.

Program Associate, Liberia

Musu N. Moore

Musu N. Moore is a Program Associate for the Luminos Fund in Liberia where she monitors classes, coaches teachers, delivers training, and manages the child protection hotline. Prior to becoming a Program Associate, Musu spent five years working with children in Luminos classrooms as a teacher, creating an atmosphere of joyful learning. Musu also spent two years as a Master Trainer, providing training and tailored in-class coaching for other teachers to improve learning outcomes in the Luminos program. Musu is passionate about girls’ education and helping out-of-school children reach their full potential. 

Program Manager, Liberia

Morrison Morris

Morrison Terwon Morris is a Program Manager for the Luminos Fund in Liberia. He is responsible for implementing and managing the Luminos program and coordinating with government stakeholders. Morrison previously served at Rising Academy Network, where he led the implementation of a groundbreaking government partnership supporting 21,000 students in rural Liberian schools each year.  

Morrison has a B.Ed. in Education, a certificate in Project Planning and Management from the Liberia Institute of Public Administration (LIPA), and he is completing his MA in Education Administration and Supervision at the Graduate and Professional School at the University of Liberia. Morrison is also an alumnus of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI). 

Program Associate, Liberia

Alex Debrown Seh

Alex Debrown Seh is a Program Associate for the Luminos Fund in Liberia, where he monitors classes and provides coaching to teachers. From 2016 to 2021, he served as Parent Engagement Group lead and Project Supervisor for the Liberia Institute for the Promotion of Academic Excellence (LIPACE), a Luminos community partner. Previously, Alex worked as Team Supervisor at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) during the Ebola crisis. Alex began his career as a Sales and People Relations Agent at Orange Liberia, a mobile network operator. He later transitioned to Liberia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports as a Project Supervisor on the Liberian Youth Empowerment Program (LYEP).  

Alex holds an associate’s degree in Education from the Liberia Corporative Standard School System (LICOSESS) Mobile Training College. 

Finance and Data Officer, Liberia

Lexanndine Taylor

Lexanndine (Lexie) Taylor is the Finance and Data Officer at the Luminos Fund in Liberia. She works with the Luminos Liberia program team and community partners to support data collection, ensure accuracy, and oversee data processing. She also manages the accounting and bookkeeping for the Liberia office.  

Prior to joining Luminos, Lexie worked as an Accountant at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development and as Chief Operating Officer at TRIBE, a nonprofit social enterprise in Liberia, where she continues to support the organization’s work.  

Lexie is a Chartered Accountant and holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of Liberia and a Management Certificate from Wake Forest University in the United States. 

Program Associate, Liberia

David Toe

David  M. Toe is a Program Associate for the Luminos Fund in Liberia where he supports program implementation and management. David works alongside the Luminos Liberia team to ensure classrooms have a positive impact on students and leads training for our community partners. Prior to becoming a Program Associate, David spent five years working with children in Luminos classrooms as a teacher, creating an atmosphere of joyful learning. David has significant experience working in the Liberian education system. He previously served as the Dean of Student Affairs at the Kamara Town Public School and holds a Teaching Certificate in Education from the Cornerstone College of Professional Education and Technology in Liberia.  

Program Associate, Liberia

Folley J. Toe

Folley is a Program Associate for the Luminos Fund in Liberia, where he ensures the smooth operation of the Second Chance program. Alongside our Liberia team, Folley works to ensure classrooms have a positive impact on students and collaborates with our partners on the ground. 

Folley previously served as classroom teacher for Luminos and assisted with the distribution of food supplies for Second Chance classes. Folley has years of direct experience working with students and creating an atmosphere of joyful learning in the classroom. Folley worked extensively with his fellow teachers, providing ideas to strengthen their teaching and support students. 

Having witnessed Liberia’s high poverty rate prevent many children from going to school, Folley is passionate about the need for education, particularly literacy. He believes strongly in Luminos’ mission of helping children get a second chance at education in Liberia.

Senior Program Manager & Global Safeguarding Lead, Liberia

Corina Wornee

Corina Wornee is a Senior Program Manager for the Luminos Fund in Liberia where she plays a key leadership role in program planning, training, coaching, curriculum development, and stakeholder engagement. Corina ensures quality teaching and learning across Luminos classes and supports the Liberia Country Manager and Luminos community partners on all project-related activities. As Global Safeguarding Lead, Corina is also responsible for supporting staff and partners in ensuring the well-being and safety of all children. 

Corina is a Nurse Educator with deep experience working in development in Liberia on major reforms and initiatives in the health and education sectors. Prior to joining Luminos, Corina served as a Training Supervisor at Last Mile Health and, most recently, as a Director of Schools for Bridge Liberia.  

Corina holds a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the Mother Patern College of Health Sciences in Liberia. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Public Health and an additional bachelor’s degree in Education. Corina is a 2023 Mandela Washington Fellow through the U.S. government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).

“My favorite part of my role is visiting classes. You get to see the progress of students over time. If you visited a class five weeks ago and you come back, you see visible improvement in students’ reading ability. Everyone is just so happy! The teachers have this laser-focus approach to improving student learning outcomes.”

James Earl Kiawoin, Liberia Country Manager

Our Community Partners

Frontline community-based organizations (CBOs) are fundamental to Luminos’ model. These CBOs help select the communities we work in based on local needs, lead community engagement and delivery of the Luminos program, and monitor the program on an ongoing basis. In Liberia, Luminos works with the Ministry of Education and the following CBOs to co-create and deliver our country-specific programs:

“Working with Luminos defines the true essence of collaboration and partnership. Our context-driven knowledge of the issues is always valued by the Luminos team. The openness and strong commitment to integrating feedback makes this partnership so worthwhile.

The impact of the Luminos project cannot be quantified. It is beyond the number of students that transitioned to public schools. For us at LIPACE, the real impact is in the families and community of people that appreciates the value of education as a key to improving their livelihoods. There’s nothing more transformative than watching a child holding a pencil for the first time at age 12 only to complete primary school four years later. It’s been an inspiring journey.”

Benjamin M. Freeman Jr.
Executive Director, Liberia Institute for the Promotion of Academic Excellence (LIPACE)

“Working with Luminos defines the true essence of collaboration and partnership. Our context-driven knowledge of the issues is always valued by the Luminos team. The openness and strong commitment to integrating feedback makes this partnership so worthwhile.

The impact of the Luminos project cannot be quantified. It is beyond the number of students that transitioned to public schools. For us at LIPACE, the real impact is in the families and community of people that appreciates the value of education as a key to improving their livelihoods. There’s nothing more transformative than watching a child holding a pencil for the first time at age 12 only to complete primary school four years later. It’s been an inspiring journey.”

Benjamin M. Freeman Jr.
Executive Director, Liberia Institute for the Promotion of Academic Excellence (LIPACE)

Kids’ Educational Engagement Project (KEEP)

Close-up of Luminos Liberia student writing

Special Emergency Activity to Restore Children’s Hope (SEARCH)

Liberia Institute for the Promotion of Academic Excellence (LIPACE)

Latest news & stories from Liberia

Unlocking the Light of Learning for Liberia’s Youth

Unlocking the Light of Learning for Liberia’s Youth

by | Aug 12, 2026

International Youth Day’s 2026 theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” recognizes that young people everywhere share the same hopes, even as the paths to reach them vary widely. For many, that path starts with something foundational: the ability to read, write, and do basic math. Without those skills, the doors to further education, employment, and opportunity stay closed—regardless of how much a young person wants to walk through them.

That is the premise behind the Youth Educational Empowerment Program (YEEP!), a joint initiative of the Luminos Fund and Liberia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports: that strong literacy and numeracy skills unlock opportunity for out-of-school youth.

Princess’s Progress: From Catching Up to Flourishing in School

Princess’s Progress: From Catching Up to Flourishing in School

by | Jul 21, 2025

For years, Princess’s days revolved around gathering water, washing dishes, and helping her mother at home. “I wasn’t in school,” remembers Princess. “We didn’t have enough money.”

That all changed when the free Luminos program arrived in her community, offering children like Princess the chance to learn foundational reading, writing, and math skills for the first time.

Catch up with Luminos!

Subscribe to our quarterly Spotlight newsletter and get the latest news, blogs, and more.

 

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The Luminos Fund is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt charitable organization registered in the United States (EIN 36-4817073).

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