The Luminos Fund publishes groundbreaking book, The Luminos Method: The Secret to Unlocking the Light of Learning in Every Child, during UN General Assembly Week

With 9 in 10 children in low-income countries unable to read by age 10, Luminos' book proves—through a decade of evidence and experience—that the most marginalized children can catch up fast

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Luminos Fund, an international nonprofit helping the world's most vulnerable children to catch up and thrive in school, celebrated the official launch of its book, The Luminos Method: The Secret to Unlocking the Light of Learning in Every Child, during its annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Week event.

The book makes a bold argument: with the right approach, even children on the margins can learn more, faster, than anyone thought possible—and all in joyful classrooms.

Luminos has enabled hundreds of thousands of vulnerable and out-of-school children to catch up on multiple grades of school in just 10 months. Luminos combines the best of global learning science with insights from communities across Africa.

In Luminos classrooms, such as those in Liberia, students learn in a single year as much as 90 percent of what the average person in their country learns in a lifetime. And, after transitioning to public schools, Luminos students go on to complete primary school at twice the rate of their peers and are happier, more confident, and have higher aspirations even six years after the program.

The Luminos Method tells the story of the organization's decade building, refining, and scaling a life-changing education program, highlighting proven successes and breakthrough results even in the most challenging contexts. Essential reading for educators, policymakers, philanthropists, and global development practitioners, the book delivers a rallying cry for reversing the global learning crisis and reimagining what low-resourced education systems can achieve.

In the face of dramatic cuts to global education aid, The Luminos Method proves that deep impact need not come at a high cost: analysis of an independent randomized controlled trial (RCT) found Luminos to be one of only three education programs that is both transformational for children's learning and cost-effective.

The Luminos Method book will be widely available for purchase on Thursday, October 9, 2025.

"The Luminos Method is more than just a book: it's a reflection of ten years of learning, listening, and showing what children can accomplish when they are no longer denied an education," said Caitlin Baron, CEO of the Luminos Fund and editor of The Luminos Method. "This is our way of sharing lessons from our journey and inviting others to carry them forward in their own communities. At a time when the world faces a deepening learning crisis, we hope this book can provide both inspiration and a roadmap to ensure every child can unlock the light of learning."

The World Bank estimates that 92% of children in low-income countries cannot read by the age of 10. UNESCO reports that there are more than 251 million children and youth out of school as of October 2024, with more than half in sub-Saharan Africa. This is not only a crisis of rights—every child deserves an education—but an economic one: UNESCO estimates that $10 trillion is lost each year as a result of children not learning.

While many efforts have expanded access to schools, too few have ensured children actually learn. The Luminos Method stands apart by showing how learning poverty can be reversed at speed and scale—ensuring children master the basics, build confidence, and grow into lifelong learners. Luminos students:

• Complete primary school at 2x the rate of their peers
• Outperform peers in English and Math by an average of 10 percent
• Sustain higher aspirations, confidence, and happiness—even six years later
• Increase future earnings by 14% for each additional year of schooling

Readers of The Luminos Method will explore nine key practices that, when adapted to regional contexts, deliver sustainable models for transformative learning. These practices are rooted in deep partnership with community organizations, blending international research with local expertise and creativity.

"The world is facing a learning crisis, and the Luminos Method offers one of the most promising solutions I've seen," said Carol Bellamy, former executive director, UNICEF. "This book provides a clear, practical overview of a program that works—one that delivers real impact for some of the world's most vulnerable children. Luminos reaches these children with care, rigor, and urgency, without ever losing sight of what matters most: the child."

"The Luminos Method speaks to the very heart of what Africa—and indeed the world—needs most: bold, proven solutions that place children at the center," said Dr. Dzingai Mutumbuka, former minister of education, Zimbabwe. "As this book makes clear, when we invest in the potential of every child, we change not only their future, but the future of entire nations."

"The Luminos Method is more than a pedagogy; it is a philosophy of possibility," said George K. Werner, former minister of Education, Liberia. "This book offers the world not just a method, but a movement—one that proves that justice in education is not a dream, but a duty."

"The Luminos approach is elegantly simple—so much so that it leaves you wondering why everyone doesn't approach education this way. Nine systematic, well-described elements make it possible for anyone serious about impact to deliver it effectively," said Kevin Starr, CEO, Mulago Foundation.

Media interested in learning more about the Luminos Method should contact Natalie Mathes at [email protected] or 347-901-9352.
For more information, visit https://www.luminosfund.org 

About The Luminos Fund
The Luminos Fund runs a catch-up education program for some of the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach children in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. In just one school year, children learn how to read, write, and do math – to learn how to learn – through a joyful, activity-based curriculum. As an international education nonprofit, our mission is to ensure all children have equal access to joyful, foundational learning, especially those shut out of education by crisis, poverty, or discrimination. To date, Luminos has helped hundreds of thousands of children secure a second chance to learn.

Contact: Natalie Mathes
Phone: 347-901-9352
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Luminos Fund