After today's university lecture, I can peacefully reflect on 2023 as December brings a pause in workshops, no invitations, and no events in.

This year, through my online and in-person workshops, I had the opportunity to connect with over 300 individuals, and the online community might even grow by a few more in December.

This year, my accredited e-learning course 'Playing Well' welcomed a new addition – ‘Playing Well with the Little Ones' – focusing on the application of board game pedagogy in kindergartens. It was co-created with two practicing kindergarten teachers. I'm thrilled to see that it has already been purchased by many. During the summer, I had the opportunity to conduct two in-person, 30-hour training sessions due to the demand from those who preferred hands-on learning over online sessions.

This year marked a significant success for me as I had more university engagements than usual. Having taught at the university level for 3.5 years in teacher education, I missed the act of teaching. This year, I had the opportunity to work on a empathy-building board game with students, participated in teacher training, and conducted workshops for university instructors. All of this took place across three different universities: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Evangelical Theological University, and University of Public Service.

This year, I had the privilege of assisting in 7 thesis projects related to the pedagogical use of board games. This is undoubtedly a record and indicates a growing interest in the field, suggesting a potential integration of board game pedagogy into education. It's uplifting to be part of a small team of freedom fighters, but it's even more rewarding to witness the movement of masses aligning in the same direction with us.

It was an honor, for instance, to coach a team that has been bringing board games to classrooms for years (as a service), but felt that I could help them take a step further. Moreover, we collaborated in two rounds, so it must have been quite a positive experience. In fact, another branch of the organization, specializing in events, requested a seminar specifically focusing on children's board gaming, and that also turned out to be very successful.

I, too, had the chance to be in an elementary school, where I brought a splash of color to the faculty's professional development day with my ideas on board game education.

I had the privilege of working with two civil organizations on two separate occasions, and it's always uplifting to collaborate with groups dedicated to significant societal causes.

This year, a new initiative was organizing one-day workshops on my own. I couldn't provide any certificates or paperwork, so people attended solely for the knowledge, spending their own money and dedicating their free time. Although I was nervous about whether there would be any interest at all, in the end, two groups came together, which was a significant affirmation of my work.

In addition to my full-time position as an educational program leader in a civil organization, alongside game design projects, these workshops and training sessions mostly took place on weekends. Balancing these commitments could be tiring, but they are incredibly fulfilling and empowering. The start of the year is always challenging, never knowing how many invitations or training opportunities will come my way. However, it seems that there will be fewer concerns in the coming year – I already have some dates scheduled for spring. Moreover, there's a chance that I'll have the opportunity to teach quite a bit in higher education.