I love Magic the Gathering.

For those who don't know, Magic the Gathering, launched in 1993, is a legendary trading card game. It consists of casting spells in an attempt to knock your opponent's life total to 0. The game involves all kinds of fantasy elements like elves, dragons, and wizards. Gameplay is highly strategic.

This game had a transformative impact on my education

I distinctly remember sprinting to a table as soon as the lunch bell rang so I could get a good seat to play Magic. Nothing was more fun than casting spells at my friends and fighting with our rare cards.

Countless reps in strategic thinking at an early age

As I played more, my strategies to win became more and more complex. It forced me to think through playing styles: did I want to be an aggressive striker or win via a slow burn? It forced me to think about valuation: just because a spell had a lot of powerful abilities didn't mean it was a good card for my deck, I had to factor in cost as well.

The competition sharpened my math and my vocabulary

Getting my opponent down to zero life points meant I had to be perfect in my arithmetic and understand all the price definitions of each card word. I could not afford to make any mathematical or reading errors.

Gaming is education's secret weapon.

I have heard of so many stories where trading card games like Pokemon or Magic the Gathering helped kids learn English, figure out math, or even overcome a reading disability.

Games are going to help millions of kids learn and thrive in the future.