Navigating Risks & Rewards
A risk-and-reward curriculum that helps adolescents make informed decisions about the gaming, gambling, money, and digital choices they face every day. Evidence-informed lessons and engaging activities help students recognize risks, build skills, and know where to turn for support.
For students, school professionals, and families
Each component shares the same risk-and-reward language, so what students learn in class is reinforced by the adults around them. Adopt all three or start with one.
Navigating Risks & Rewards
The student curriculum for ages 13–18: one 50-minute core session, with up to two optional sessions.
RAHP Certificate
The Risk Awareness & Harm Prevention Certificate for Secondary School Professionals: a 100% online professional education credential.
The Essential Lesson
Navigating Your Adolescent’s Exposure to Risks & Rewards: education that helps families recognize risk and start calm conversations.
Risk and reward are part of every teen’s day
Sports betting ads, fantasy contests, loot boxes, skins, social casino games, and influencer content reach adolescents every day, and the line between gaming and gambling keeps narrowing. Schools need practical, age-appropriate education that meets students where they are.
Build knowledge
Understand the negative impact gambling can have.
Recognize risks
Identify warning signs and potential harms.
Develop skills
Make informed decisions and manage peer influence.
Support well-being
Promote lower-risk behavior and financial wellness.
Build a better future
Set goals and make choices that lead to success.
Risk first. Gambling second.
Students first build a shared, practical way of thinking about risk and reward. Gambling is then explored as one example of a decision involving something of value and an uncertain outcome, so the skills carry over to the many choices teens face.
Activity-based. Educator-friendly. Evidence-informed. Ready to use.
Activity-based
Students discuss, compare, and apply ideas to realistic situations.
Nonjudgmental
Tools, not fear. Students take part fully without sharing personal or family experiences.
Developmentally grounded
Examples reflect sports, games, apps, social media, peers, school, and money.
Family-engaged
Parent and caregiver education carries the same language home.
Navigating Risks & Rewards
One class period, or a three-session sequence
The core session is a complete 50-minute lesson on its own. Schools can add up to two more sessions to go deeper, selected by grade level, school priorities, and available class time.
Understanding Risk
- A shared language for likelihood, impact, value, and reward
- A simple decision-making tool students can use anywhere
- Telling games, gambling, and gray areas apart
- Where to turn for support at school
Digital Influence & Sports Betting
- Real questions from high school students, answered
- How ads, influencers, and “bonus” offers shape what feels normal
- Sports knowledge versus control over uncertain outcomes
Money, Coping & Support
- Spending, borrowing, and digital currency
- How stress, boredom, and chasing losses raise risk
- Supporting yourself or a friend and reaching trusted adults
Fits naturally into
- Health and PE classes
- Advisory and life skills
- School counseling
- Student support services
- Clubs and organizations
- Prevention programs
RAHP Certificate
Risk Awareness & Harm Prevention Certificate for Secondary School Professionals
A professional education credential for teachers, counselors, administrators, coaches, and school staff. Participants build the knowledge to recognize gambling-related risks among adolescents, respond with confidence, and help their schools prevent harm.
Who it’s for
- Teachers and coaches
- School counselors and student support staff
- Principals and district administrators
- Anyone who works with adolescents in a school setting
RAHP is a professional credential. It is separate from facilitator training, which prepares educators to teach the student curriculum.
The Essential Lesson
Navigating Your Adolescent’s Exposure to Risks & Rewards
The same prevention approach students learn in class, built for the adults at home. Families learn what to watch for, how to start calm conversations, and how to set household boundaries around money, apps, and access.
- Sports betting
- Fantasy contests
- Informal wagers
- Loot boxes and skins
- Social casino games
- Influencer content
Interactive video for parents and caregivers
Delivered virtually, at a school information night, or through a family learning portal.
Family activity
Adults practice recognizing risk in realistic teen situations and choosing a calm next step.
Facilitator preparation and implementation support
Everything educators need to teach Navigating Risks & Rewards with confidence. Facilitator preparation is separate from the RAHP certificate.
GamAcad-led educator training
In-person training for educators and designated school personnel. One training can serve a district or a group of districts.
Facilitator handbook
Step-by-step facilitation guidance and clear boundaries that keep student participation safe.
Accessible student materials
ADA-accessible presentations and student materials for every lesson.
Learning platform
Materials organized in the GamAcad LMS for consistent delivery across classrooms and schools.
Why schools and districts adopt GamAcad
Get ahead of a growing risk
Sports betting promotions, gaming purchases, and gambling-style rewards reach students years before they can legally gamble. Prevention works best before habits form.
Fits the school day
One 50-minute class period, or up to three, in health, PE, advisory, counseling, or prevention programs.
Low burden for staff
Ready-to-use, ADA-accessible lessons with step-by-step facilitator guidance and a learning platform.
Safe for students
Students take part without sharing personal or family experiences, and facilitators follow clear safety boundaries.
Reaches families
The Essential Lesson brings the same prevention language home to parents and caregivers.
Builds lasting capacity
District-wide training and RAHP certification build staff expertise that stays with your schools.
From enrollment to classroom, staff, and home
- EnrollChoose a single school, a district, or a multi-district partnership. We confirm your components and timeline.
- Prepare facilitatorsGamAcad-led training prepares the educators who will teach the student curriculum.
- Teach the curriculumDeliver the core session, then add the optional sessions as time allows.
- Engage familiesShare The Essential Lesson through information nights, virtual sessions, or a family learning portal.
- Strengthen staff knowledgeSchool professionals earn the RAHP certificate.
- Ongoing supportMaterials stay organized in the GamAcad LMS, with support from the GamAcad team.
Empower students. Strengthen schools. Create lasting change.
Annual district curriculum access includes student materials and The Essential Lesson for parents and caregivers. Add GamAcad-led educator training, share a training across districts, or start with a single school. State agency and Department of Education partnerships are welcome.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Education/Training
- Setting
- Secondary schools and school districts
- People served
- Students ages 13–18; parents and caregivers; secondary school professionals
- Prevention level
- Promotion, Prevention
- Implementers
- Trained educators or designated school personnel
- Training
- GamAcad-led, in person; may serve one district or several
- Evidence type
- Research-informed / evidence-informed
- Language
- English
Dr. Michelle L. Malkin & Dr. Michele Stacey
Nationally recognized gambling researchers, creators of tools to reduce gambling-related harms (including two federally copyrighted tools), and co-founders of Gamblytics. Their GamAcad opportunities are built directly from research outcomes and have shown significant learning gains for students, educators, administrators, counselors, and community members. Learn more about their work at gamblyticsresearch.com.
- Award-winningEducators and researchers
- 75+Major news outlets have featured their research
- 50+Keynote addresses worldwide
- 100+National and international presentations
- EAGS©Co-creators of the Emerging Adult Gambling Screen
Research featured in: The New York Times NPR ESPN ABC News CBS News Business Insider
Sign up or request information
Select everything you are interested in. We will follow up with pricing, a demonstration, or next steps for your school or district.
- Phone
- 252-228-9663