EdGE:

Today’s youth are faced with more interesting conundrums than any child in history. Children, in mere seconds, can access more information than any philosopher could hope to gather in a lifetime. As they wade through that information they will encounter bad actors trying to influence them to consume specific products, believe self-destructive rhetoric, and even isolate themselves from people who could help them make sense of this world. This came to a head in 2020 when the whole world was asked to stop, stay home, and be healthy. We listened to their advice…

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….for six weeks and then things started getting uncomfortable. 

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During the shutdowns the board game and puzzle industries saw a sharp rise in sales. Casual gamers soon ran out of videos games to play and for many others the idea of being in front of a screen for another hour just didn’t sound enjoyable.

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EdGE is the brain child of a gaming executive and an educator who recognized that many of the problems they ran into in their industries stemmed from the lack of opportunity for people to authentically connect and learn from one another. The drive to create unique, face to face learning experiences helped them recognize what so many missed.

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People outside of education do not spend time thinking about how their children learn. They are only concerned with what they learn. Schools have been forced to pour more information into the mind of children while children are largely responsible for learning how to filter the information that is pressed upon them from social media, advertising, and predators. In short, today’s youth has a tremendous base of information with very little of the critical thinking skills necessary to use it in their own best interest. Board games are a time tested method to teach logic, cause and effect, reason, and empathy.

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People inside the education sphere are presented with the newest, best methods each year. And like clockwork, 365 days later they are told why last year's methods are less effective and how this new resource will fix all the shortcomings they may have noticed. All of this happens as the drive and passion of the educator slowly slips away from the grind of endless professional developments that do not move the student achievement needle, parents that passionately underplay their ability to redirect their children, and a society with an bottomless well of accusations against teachers but a limited desire to support their emotional and financial health. 

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EdGE operates in the space between. As each year passes, children seek more opportunities to make decisions for themselves. Parents want them to make those choices while understanding the consequences of their choices, both good or bad. Educators want to be able to meet the goals provided to them while also feeling confident that they have given all of their students the tools they need to navigate their way through an increasingly complicated world. The board game community wants youth and families to experience a wide range of gaming experiences, making new friends, conquering diverse challenges, and finding happiness at a table top.