Lebanese Alternative Learning

What Lebanese Alternative Learning does

Lebanese Alternative Learning (LAL) is a Beirut-headquartered non-profit founded in 2013-2014 that builds and distributes free digital learning infrastructure for crisis-affected and underserved learners in Lebanon and the wider Levant. Its core products are Tabshoura, a free, curriculum-aligned digital learning platform built around a discovery-based pedagogy (I Start, I Recall, I Discover, I Have Learned), and Lalmoudaress, a teacher professional development platform that hosts lesson plans, blended-learning training, and the IFERB resource bank. A secondary product line includes offline-first access mechanisms — the Tabshoura mobile app for offline progression sync and BeeKee-Tabshoura Boxes (with Swiss partner Beekee) that create local wireless networks — together with physical "Alternative Learning Spaces" (domes and the traveling Knowledge Container mobile learning unit) deployed to low-connectivity and crisis-affected communities.

LAL's underlying technology combines in-house Arabic content authoring, structured progression logic, and offline distribution architecture purpose-built for connectivity-constrained environments. The platform is integrated with UNRWA's Manara digital learning system (more than 1,200 activities), aligned to the Lebanese national curriculum via CRDP and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and adapted into a Palestinian variant (Yalla Nodrus, with AlNayzak and Kamkalima). A newer layer — the EmpowerEd initiative and a partnership with Udaress — extends the stack toward an AI-augmented tutor, adaptive testing, and an AI literacy program for high schoolers (12 lessons, piloted in 2026).

The organization is donor-funded rather than revenue-generating; all learner and teacher-facing products are free. Funding comes from foundations (Drosos, Asfari, Theirworld, Malala Foundation, CMA-CGM Foundation, Alfanar, Saint Gobain Foundation, My School Pulse, Education Above All, Dalia and Ramzi Rishani Charitable Fund) and government/institutional partners (GIZ/German Cooperation, Expertise France). Distribution spans a product-led self-serve channel (Tabshoura and Lalmoudaress direct access), a regional channel partnership (UNRWA Manara), and institutional reseller channels (Alternative Learning Spaces, Knowledge Container) reaching schools, NGOs, and teacher cohorts across Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Palestine.

Name

Lebanese Alternative Learning

Legal name

Lebanese Alternative Learning

Website

https://lal.ngo

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Learning Platforms

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Digital learning platform
• Teacher professional development
• Offline education solutions
• Curriculum-aligned learning
• Education technology nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: LAL operates as a nonprofit NGO funded primarily through grants from foundations and institutional donors. Revenue comes from donor contributions, foundation grants (Drosos Foundation, Asfari Foundation, CMA-CGM Foundation, Alfanar, Theirworld, Malala Foundation, etc.), and government/institutional funding (GIZ, Expertise France, Education Above All).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lebanese Alternative Learning (LAL) develops and provides free, curriculum-aligned digital learning platforms for children and youth, with a primary learner-facing platform (Tabshoura) and a teacher professional development platform (Lalmoudaress). The organization also creates offline access solutions (Tabshoura App, BeeKee-Tabshoura Boxes), specialized programs across early childhood, elementary, and high school levels, and physical Alternative Learning Spaces to ensure learning continuity in low-connectivity and crisis-affected environments across Lebanon and the region.

Product overview

Lebanese Alternative Learning (LAL) offers a multi-platform education ecosystem centered on two core products: Tabshoura (free digital learning platform) and Lalmoudaress (teacher professional development platform). These platforms work together through Tabshoura's student-facing curriculum-aligned content and Lalmoudaress's educator resources. Supporting products include Alternative Learning Spaces (physical and digital learning environments), Tabshoura App and BeeKee-Tabshoura Boxes (offline access solutions), and specialized programs like EmpowerEd (high school AI curriculum), My Best Start (early childhood), and Happiness Curriculum (SEL). Regional adaptations include Yalla Nodrus (Palestinian curriculum). The portfolio includes mobile solutions like the Knowledge Container and integrated resources such as IFERB.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tabshoura: Free access digital learning platform aligned with Lebanese curriculum, featuring interactive modules, offline capabilities, and discovery-based learning methodology.
• Lalmoudaress
• Le Conteneur du Savoir (The Knowledge Container)
• Yalla Nodrus
• Alternative Learning Spaces (ALS)

Products and services

• Tabshoura Free access digital learning platform aligned with the Lebanese curriculum, featuring discovery-based learning methodology (I Start, I Recall, I Discover, I Have Learned) with interactive modules across multiple subjects, grade levels, and languages. Designed for children and youth, especially in crisis-affected and low-connectivity environments.
• Lalmoudaress Free professional development platform for teachers providing training, lesson plans, structured courses on blended learning, self-directed learning, and digital pedagogy, plus a community of practice. Hosts IFERB resources and serves as the central space for Tabshoura teacher guides.
• Alternative Learning Spaces (LAL Spaces) Safe physical learning environments across Lebanon equipped with digital resources and offline access to ensure learning continuity during crises. Includes domes, refurbished rooms, and the mobile Knowledge Container, supported by trained facilitators.
• Tabshoura App Mobile application that allows users to download Tabshoura learning content on phones or tablets for offline use, automatically saving learner progression when reconnected to the internet.
• BeeKee-Tabshoura Boxes Offline servers created in partnership with Beekee that instantly create local wireless networks providing access to Tabshoura interactive content in remote, disadvantaged, and low-connectivity areas.
• Yalla Nodrus Digital learning platform adapting Tabshoura content for the Palestinian curriculum, with Arabic learning and teaching support. Developed in collaboration with Kamkalima and AlNayzak and supported by AlFanar.
• Knowledge Container (Le Conteneur du Savoir) Mobile learning space converted from a decommissioned shipping container, equipped with digital learning resources and designed to travel to underserved communities across Lebanon (including Tripoli El Mina, Jabal Mohsen, Akkar, Haddath Besançon School, and Baaqline).
• EmpowerEd (Empowered Pathways) Digital high school curriculum initiative focused on skills, transversal competencies, and independent learning, including an introductory Artificial Intelligence program of 12 lessons with pre- and post-assessments. Developed with CRDP and funded by Drosos Foundation.
• My Best Start (MBS) Early childhood education digital program that creates 167 interactive curriculum-based modules for Lebanese national early childhood education, promoting differentiated, student-centered learning pathways. Implemented in partnership with Ana Aqra Association and Skild, funded by Theirworld.
• Happiness Curriculum Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program for early childhood built around six core themes: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, safety, belonging, and pride. Supported by the Dalia and Ramzi Rishani Charitable Fund.
• Blending with Tabshoura (Hybrid Learning Model) Hybrid/blended learning model tailored to the Lebanese context, providing training for teachers and classroom implementation targeting 2,000 students. Developed in partnership with Teach for Lebanon and supported by Expertise France.
• IFERB (Internet-Free Education Resource Bank) Over 500 hands-on, project-based learning resources, including Social-Emotional Learning activities, available without internet access and integrated into the Lalmoudaress platform. Supported by Education Above All.
• Elementary Program (Grades 1-4) Digital program for Grades 1 to 4 in languages, math, and science, featuring unique characters, storytelling, and inquiry-based learning. Developed with support from Right To Play.
• Lalmoudaress Community of Influential Educators Community platform for teachers to share experiences, exchange practices, and collaborate on teaching and learning improvement, supported by the Asfari Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 68,000+ learners reached through digital learning platforms
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Rashad Center for Cultural Governance / Adyan FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Led Tahawor initiative bringing together MPs and staff for roundtable discussions on values-driven reform policies. LAL facilitated Education-focused discussions.
• UNRWAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to integrate Tabshoura content into UNRWA's Manara digital learning platform. More than 1,200 interactive learning activities transferred, serving children across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine.
• Center of Education Research and Development (CRDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational mandate partner for curriculum development and quality assurance. Collaboration on EmpowerEd High School Support and My Best Start early childhood program.
• Teach for LebanonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShabake II project partnership for hybrid learning model. LAL trained TFL fellows on Blending with Tabshoura model, who then transferred methodology to 100 teachers.
• BeekeemajorTechnology or IntegrationSwiss social enterprise partnership for offline server infrastructure. Tabshoura-in-a-box collaboration creating local wireless networks for remote access to Tabshoura content.
• Ana Aqra AssociationmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKey partner in My Best Start early childhood program, bringing expertise in early childhood education in Lebanon.
• SkildminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOrganization focused on inclusion, partnered on My Best Start early childhood program.
• KamkalimamajorTechnology or IntegrationLebanese partner for Yalla Nodrus project providing teachers support for Arabic learning and teaching, adapting content for Palestinian students.
• AlNayzakmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalestinian partner for Yalla Nodrus project adapting Tabshoura model for Palestinian students.
• Design For Communities (D4C)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesigned and implemented Knowledge Container and Alternative Learning Spaces, including domes and refurbished rooms.
• ThakiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided refurbished laptops (Thaki Laptops) preloaded with learning content including social-emotional stories for Alternative Learning Spaces.
• Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational education authority partner for curriculum alignment and program implementation across Lebanese schools.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Edraak: Edraak is a leading Arabic-language online learning platform offering free courses across K-12, higher education, and professional development. It is the most direct regional competitor to LAL's Tabshoura in providing Arabic curriculum-aligned digital learning content at scale.
• War Child: War Child is an international NGO providing education and protection to children affected by war and conflict. It operates in multiple countries including Lebanon and the region with programs for crisis-affected learners, comparable to LAL's crisis-response mission and target segment.
• UNICEF Learning Passport: UNICEF's Learning Passport is a free digital learning platform designed to provide continuous education to children and youth affected by crisis, conflict, and displacement. It directly parallels LAL's Tabshoura platform in targeting crisis-affected learners with curriculum-aligned digital content, though at a larger global scale.
• Kolibri (Learning Equality): Kolibri by Learning Equality is an offline-enabled digital learning platform built for low-bandwidth environments and used widely in refugee and underserved communities globally. Both LAL and Learning Equality focus on offline-first content delivery to communities with limited connectivity, serving similar populations.
• Madrasati (Queen Rania Foundation): Madrasati is a Jordan-based initiative by the Queen Rania Foundation providing digital learning resources for Arabic-speaking students. Like LAL, it focuses on curriculum-aligned digital content in the Levant with government and institutional partnerships, and serves refugee/displaced learner populations.

Others

• Education Cannot Wait: Education Cannot Wait is the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, and a potential partner/funder rather than direct competitor. It is relevant as both a funding source for crisis-education programs like LAL's and as the convener of the ecosystem LAL operates within.
• INEE (Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies): INEE is a global, open network of organizations working on education in emergencies. It is an ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but relevant because LAL's work on alternative learning spaces and crisis-affected pedagogy fits within INEE's standards and community.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children: Save the Children is a major international NGO operating global education-in-emergencies programs, including in Lebanon and the Middle East. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with LAL's mission of providing learning continuity in crisis contexts but at much larger scale and with multi-sector programming.
• Khan Academy (Arabic): Khan Academy offers free, online educational content with Arabic-language versions and offline use cases. It is a broader incumbent in the free digital learning space, with comparable self-directed learning methodology but global rather than curriculum-specific scope.

Emerging players

• Rumie Initiative: Rumie provides low-cost tablets preloaded with curated educational content for underserved learners in refugee and low-connectivity communities. It overlaps with LAL's BeeKee-Tabshoura Boxes in delivering offline digital content to crisis-affected populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL6vX_zq1wnOxMIY9yEav1QH2yH4hGyZFn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lebanese-alternative-learning

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Lebanese Alternative Learning