Rhea Alameddine, a Grade 12 student at International College Beirut, created an educational board game called MarketQuest – a fast-paced strategy game designed to help children and adults learn essential financial skills through play. What began as a simple idea soon grew into a full-scale project that Rhea independently designed, developed, and brought to life.
MarketQuest invites players to buy, sell, and trade items across constantly shifting markets in order to earn Gold Coins. Each round introduces new dice rolls, changing prices, surprise event cards, and opportunities for negotiation – elements that keep the game dynamic while teaching key concepts such as budgeting, saving, borrowing, informed decision-making, and basic economic principles.
Rhea developed the game in direct response to Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis. After witnessing how financial instability affects families and young people, she wanted to create a tool that empowers children rather than overwhelms them. Her objective was clear; transform financial education into something practical, engaging, and easy to understand.
From the start, Rhea also hoped to reach children living in the most vulnerable conditions. Growing up in Lebanon, she had seen how financial pressure can influence a child’s confidence and future choices. She strongly believes that early financial literacy can build resilience, independence, and long-term security.
To reinforce this mission, Rhea partnered with AFEL, a Lebanese NGO supporting children affected by domestic abuse, neglect, and extreme socioeconomic hardship. She visited the organization’s center, led a tailored financial-literacy workshop, introduced the children to MarketQuest, and donated several game copies. She has also committed to donating all profits from MarketQuest to AFEL, turning her entrepreneurial project into a meaningful source of support for the NGO.
MarketQuest is now moving beyond workshops and community programs. The game will soon be available in toy stores across Lebanon. Rhea hopes that seeing the game on shelves will encourage more families to view financial learning not as a burden, but as an enjoyable and empowering experience – one that can help prepare a new generation to navigate economic challenges with confidence.