Strong Foundations
ALIGN-FLN unites global partners to strengthen early reading and numeracy, ensuring every child learns with understanding and builds confident lifelong skills.
8-9 May 2026 in Lucknow
ALIGN FLN
Alliance for Global Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
Our Vision
A world where foundational literacy and numeracy are non-negotiable, universally achieved, and measurably strengthened in the early grades.
Our Commitment
Every child deserves the chance to read, understand and calculate confidently by the early grades. We’re committed to closing the FLN gap through collaboration, evidence and recognition.
About ALIGN FLN
- Here's the thing. FLN isn't a minor concern, it's the ground everything else stands on. When children can't read or handle numbers early, all later learning is compromised.
- ALIGN‐FLN exists to bring clarity and alignment to the global FLN movement.
- We connect governments, NGOs, CSR partners, institutions and researchers so their
efforts don't run parallel, they reinforce each other.
And 8-9 May 2026 is where a significant part of that alignment comes alive.
WHY FLN Matters Now
A global crisis
Nearly 70 percent of children in low and lower-middle income countries struggle with basic reading by age 10. COVID only made the gap wider. Progress is slow because efforts are scattered.
India’s challenge
NIPUN Bharat set ambitious goals, but learning gaps persist. Innovations have seen success in states such as UP, Himachal, Jammu, West Bengal, Haryana, Ladakh, Telangana, and Arunachal, but scaling them needs improved coordination.
8-9 May puts that coordination front and centre.
Who We Are
ALIGN–FLN is powered by organisations that have spent years building, studying and scaling high-impact FLN work. Together, they form a backbone capable of moving systems, not just classrooms.
What We Do
Everything we do ties back to our core goals.
Share what works
We surface best practices and models proven in the classroom.
Not theories. Evidence-backed solutions that can scale.
Celebrate leadership
Through the ALIGN–FLN Samman Ceremony, we honour individuals and organisations that are spearheading or supporting FLN initiatives across the world — from policymakers pushing reforms to NGOs and CSR teams driving impact on the ground.
Create spaces for alignment
Our conferences, FLN Fairs and global dialogues bring together every stakeholder group so learning is faster and decisions are smarter.
Generate evidence
We support rigorous research implementations to measure FLN gains and guide decision-making.
Strengthen scale-up
Through accelerator labs and technical support, we help promising FLN innovations become scale-ready.
What We Do
Everything we do ties back to our core goals.
ALIGN–FLN Samman Ceremony
One of ALIGN–FLN’s key goals is recognising the people who make FLN progress possible but often remain unseen.
The Samman Ceremony honours:
Policymakers bringing bold reforms
CSR leaders investing strategically
Institutions delivering strong FLN outcomes
NGOs driving change on the ground
Researchers building actionable evidence
Community leaders sustaining local learning
Each samman is tied to evidence, impact and a model others can learn from — which directly reflects our goal of sharing best practices based on proof, not assumption.
What Happens on 8-9 May
On 8-9 May 2026, ALIGN‐FLN is hosting a Leadership Circle in Lucknow a gathering designed for policymakers, education leaders, CSR heads, NGOs and innovators.
DELGATES WILL:
- Discover the most cost-effective ways to impact FLN in India
- See real results from states adopting innovative approaches
- Discuss the intersection of policy and pedagogical approaches to boost FLN
- Understand how research implementations work in real classrooms
If you’ve been looking for evidence, clarity and direction in FLN — the Leadership Circle is where it all converges.
Governance
ALIGN–FLN is guided by an International Advisory Board of global education leaders, researchers, philanthropists and policymakers who help keep the work strategic, ambitious and grounded in evidence.
Our Purpose
ALIGN–FLN exists to bring direction and coherence to the global FLN movement.Our goals are clear:
Align Efforts
Align efforts from governments, NGOs, CSR, institutions and researchers so everyone pulls in the same direction
Share best practices
Share best practices backed by strong evidence, so states and organisations can leapfrog instead of reinventing
Honour FLN Leaders
Honour people and organisations who are leading or supporting FLN initiatives worldwide — policymakers, CSR teams, institutions, NGOs and frontline champions
Global Community
Build a global community that learns from each other and acts with urgency
Elevate FLN Worldwide
Push FLN to the top of national and global education agendas
What this really means is that ALIGN–FLN isn’t just a network. It’s a movement built on evidence, collaboration and recognition.
Get Involved
01
Reserve your seat for 8-9 May
02
Start a research implementation in your geography (4 treatment + 4 control schools)
03
Nominate a champion for the ALIGN–FLN Samman
04
Partner with the Alliance
05
Bring ALfA to your schools or project