
The Luminos Method
The Luminos Method is a collection of best practices derived from our experience working in the hardest-to-reach communities in Ethiopia, Ghana, Lebanon, Liberia, and The Gambia, which we are making available to the broader education sector to address an urgent challenge:
The global community is at risk of failing a generation of young people in the Global South who may never become the doctors, leaders, human rights activists, or teachers they might have been. Millions of children were already shut out of school. And, since COVID-19, millions more have fallen so far behind they are at grave risk of dropping out forever.
The Luminos Fund is tackling this challenge head-on, working alongside governments and community-based organizations to run accelerated education programs that help children catch up to grade level, reintegrate into government schools, and prepare for lifelong learning.
Yet the challenges facing young children today go beyond anything a single organization can accomplish alone.
We believe by sharing the Luminos Method it is possible to accelerate our vision of helping all children achieve foundational learning across the globe, even in some of the world’s most challenging contexts.
92%
of children in low-income countries cannot read by age 10
78
million primary-school-aged children are out of school around the world
Elements of the Luminos Method
Select elements of the Luminos Method below to access interactive web pages with videos and downloadable resources of our best practices. Additional elements will be published quarterly, and highlighted in blue as they become available online.

Community Teachers
High-potential, local young adults become successful community teachers with solid training and support.
Teacher-Led Assessment
Regular assessment and follow-up support are crucial to ensure student learning stays on track.
Phonics for First-Generation Readers
We teach children to read using a proven, phonics-based approach that is grounded in international evidence and local best practice.
Joyful Learning
Learning takes place in a safe and inclusive environment with meaningul lessons and an engaging pedagogy full of interaction and playful activities.
Committed Parents
We partner with parents to support their children’s learning throughout the program lifecycle.
Learning to Learn
Students process and make creative and intellectual use of new concepts, problem-solve, and work collaboratively in groups, setting them up for success in future classroom environments.
Frontline Partners
We partner with community-based organizations to co-create and deliver our country-specific programs.
Real-Time Data
We use a data dashboard to monitor Key Performance Indicators, capture a holistic view of the program and drill down to granular insights, and identify struggling students and teachers.
While the Luminos Method represents the core practices across all countries where we work, certain aspects of our programs are customized to the country-specific context, in partnership with community-based organizations and ministries of education. Reading materials, songs, plays, and role-play are relevant to the children’s mother tongue and culture. Luminos community teachers draw on their experience with the community and culture when developing resources.
Applying the Luminos Method has achieved transformative results in our accelerated education programs, and we believe by sharing these resources, we can unlock the light of learning in every child.
“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
Contact us to learn more about the Luminos Method
Latest news
Amid Global Learning Crisis, New RCT Shows Dramatic Learning Gains for Luminos Students in Liberia
A new randomized controlled trial (RCT) shows children in the Luminos catch-up education program in Liberia achieve dramatic learning gains: a country where more than one in three children are out of school. In just one school year, Liberian children enrolled in the...
Students’ Welfare in the Center: Creating Safe, Inclusive, and Healthy Environments
Luminos takes a three-fold approach to ensure our student’s well-being: 1) safeguarding students’ welfare through extensive child protection training, 2) creating inclusive classrooms, and 3) supporting students’ health.
Supporting Children’s Psychosocial Well-Being in Ethiopia
Amidst years of conflict, displacement, and compounding socio-economic challenges that threaten children’s well-being, Luminos classrooms in Ethiopia provide a haven for students—a space for healing to begin.Since late 2020, inter-communal conflict in the Konso Zone...
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).