Off the Cuff: Alex Peters, co-CEO of Prodigy

Off the Cuff: Alex Peters, co-CEO of Prodigy

A graduate of mechatronics engineering at the University of Waterloo, Alex Peters has loved math since elementary school. Unfortunately, not all elementary school students enjoy and excel at math, and these students tend to avoid higher education in math-related fields.

Alex and his co-CEO, Rohan Mahimker, started prodigygame.com (formerly known as SMARTeacher) to create a more engaging learning experience for students who struggle with math. Their math game, Prodigy, transforms students into young wizards who must defeat horrendous monsters by answering a series of math questions. After every successful battle, the child’s wizard receives experience points, which can be used to upgrade his or her spells and costumes.

The game can also actively adapt to the child’s emotions and success level. If the child is struggling with a particular range of questions, the game will automatically reduce difficulty to reinforce his or her confidence. If the child is easily completing the questions, the difficulty of the problems will increase.

Alex and Rohan are working to promote learning and academic engagement, one spell at a time!

Watch their story below.