Our Impact

The Luminos program is the only foundational learning program found to have high impact on children’s learning while maintaining high cost-effectiveness.

In just one school year, Luminos students progress from not recognizing letters of the alphabet to reading short stories. Our approach helps all children learn regardless of gender, location, or prior schooling. Below is a summary of our results to date, including highlights from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of our program in Liberia and a longitudinal study on Luminos’ lasting impact in Ethiopia.

Proven by over 30 independently administered evaluations, the Luminos model is among the most rigorously validated in the sector. To view our recent reports and evaluations click here.

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of Luminos students advance into government schools after completing the program

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Luminos students are twice as likely as their peers to complete primary school

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Luminos students read up to nine times faster than their peers

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In one year, a Luminos student learns 90% of what the average Liberian will ever learn in school

children reached with joyful foundational learning

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children served in government schools

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teachers trained

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female students (2025-26 school year)

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children reached with joyful foundational learning

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children served in government schools

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teachers trained

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female students (2025-26 school year)

Deep Impact

A randomized controlled trial (RCT) by IDinsight found that children in Luminos classrooms learn a huge amount in just one school year.

During the 2022-23 school year in Liberia, Luminos students could read four times as many words per minute and complete two times as many addition and subtraction problems as children in control communities. A summary of the RCT is available here. To read the RCT in its entirety, click here.

“I have rarely seen such clear evidence of a program having inclusive impact.”

Jeffery McManus, Senior Economist at IDinsight

Meet Beatrice: A Luminos Student in Liberia

Growing up in rural Liberia, Beatrice’s family didn’t have enough money to send her to school. After enrolling in the Luminos Fund’s free catch-up education program, Beatrice experience deep, transformative impact as she learned to read, write, and do math for the first time.

Watch Beatrice’s story to learn more about her journey and the IDinsight RCT results.

Lasting Impact

Luminos commissioned a series of external evaluations by the University of Sussex Centre for International Education to understand how effectively the Luminos program, also known as Second Chance, addresses the learning needs of out-of-school children. A longitudinal study tracked 625 children, over six years, who participated in Luminos’ program, completed it, and then transitioned to government schools. Their progress was compared to 1,250 government students.

The results show that the Luminos program has a lasting impact. Even six years after completing the program and transitioning into mainstream government schools, Luminos children continue to fare better than their peers.

A summary of the longitudinal study is available here.

PERFORMANCE