The Luminos Program

  • P Project/Program

A Active

Key Information

The Luminos program is an accelerated learning program that helps children catch up to grade level, reintegrate into government schools, and prepare for lifelong learning. In joyful, co-ed classrooms, Luminos students progress from not recognizing letters of the alphabet to reading short stories. Results of an IDinsight randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Luminos program in Liberia prove the program's transformative impact: in one year, a Luminos student learns 90% of what the average Liberian will learn in their entire life. Additionally, a longitudinal study of the Luminos program in Ethiopia found that even six years after completing the program and transitioning into government schooling, Luminos children continue to outperform their peers and stay in school longer.

Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Ethiopia, Gambia, The, Ghana, Liberia

Activity URL

https://luminosfund.org/what-we-do/

Government Affiliation

Government-affiliated program

Years

2016 -

Partner(s)

The Luminos Fund has a locally led approach to ensure the successful delivery of our education programs, driven by partnerships with governments, community-based organizations, leading researchers and evaluators, and consultants where we work.

Ministry Affiliation

Ministry of Education, Ethiopia Ministry of Education, Ghana Ministry of Education, Liberia Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, The Gambia

Funder(s)

Our vision of a world where no child is denied the chance to learn is generously supported by a range of organizations, foundations, families, and individuals including Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies, Cartier Philanthropy, Dovetail Impact Foundation, Gates Foundation, Hirschmann Stiftung, Legatum, The LEGO Foundation, mc2h foundation, Mulago Foundation, Oak Foundation, Peter Cundill Foundation, Pousaz Philanthropies, Rippleworks, Robert Bosch Stiftung, SAS-P, UBS Optimus Foundation, UNICEF, USAID, Vitol Foundation, and Wenya Charity Foundation Limited.

COVID-19 Response

Not changed

Geographic Scope

Global / regional

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment
  • Primary enrollment
Other
  • Other
Other skills
  • Social and emotional learning
Quality
  • Curricula/lesson plans
  • School quality
  • Teacher training
Skills
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy

Cross-cutting areas

  • Economic/livelihoods (including savings/financial inclusion, etc.)
  • Emergencies and protracted crises
  • Gender equality
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Boys (both in school and out of school), Girls (both in school and out of school), Youth

Age

8 - 14

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

  • Lower primary
  • Upper primary

Other populations reached

  • Boys (both in school and out of school)
  • Girls (both in school and out of school)

Participants include

  • Displaced/refugee - External (from other countries)
  • Displaced/refugee - Internal (from other areas of the same country)
  • Internal migrants (from other areas of the same country)
  • Orphans and vulnerable children

Program Approaches Back to Top

Access to school
  • Alternative learning centers/mobile schools/home schools
Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization
  • Community mobilization
  • General awareness-raising/community engagement
  • Parent Teacher Associations (PTA)
  • Technical assistance/capacity building to civil society organizations or governments
Curriculum/learning
  • Gender-sensitive curricula
  • Increased availability of learning materials
  • Remedial education/skills
Food/nutrition
  • School feeding
Life skills education
  • Social and emotional learning (SEL) skills building
School-related gender-based violence
  • Training of school personnel (including teachers)
Social/gender norms change
  • Engaging parents/caregivers of students or school-age children/adolescents
Teaching
  • In-service teacher training – gender-responsive pedagogy
  • In-service teacher training – pedagogy general
Tutoring/strengthening academic skills
  • Literacy - in the classroom
  • Numeracy - in the classroom
Women's empowerment programs
  • Self-help groups (financial, including savings and credit groups)

Show More

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Curricula, teaching and learning materials are free of gender-bias and stereotypes
  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Improved social and emotional learning/skills and mindsets
  • Increased literacy
  • Increased numeracy
  • Increased re-enrolment in school among out-of-school children
  • Increased school completion (general)
  • Increased school enrolment (general)
  • Teachers and learners have the knowledge and skills to promote gender equality

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Increased agency and empowerment
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms
  • Reduced adolescent pregnancy/childbearing
  • Reduced child marriage
  • Reduced poverty/increase household well-being

Additional Information Back to Top

Primary Contact

Maretta Silverman
The Luminos Fund
Director of Communications