From the Classroom to the Director’s Chair: Rethinking Next Generation Gambling Prevention
Author: Ashlee Olujic, Director of Tribal and Community Engagement at ICRG
When I was in the classroom, I had a front-row seat to see how quickly the outside world makes its way into the lives of our youth. Long before children reach adulthood, they are already absorbing the behaviors, habits, and risks they see around them.
What has changed dramatically is the environment in which that is happening. With smartphones and digital platforms now part of everyday life, the lines between gaming, entertainment, social media, and gambling have become increasingly difficult to distinguish. I watched students interact with loot boxes, virtual currencies, sports odds, and other gambling-like features on their screens, often without recognizing them as gambling or understanding the financial and emotional risks behind them.
That experience reinforced something I continue to carry into my work today: prevention cannot begin when someone turns 18 or 21. By then, many of the behaviors, expectations, and ideas about risk and reward have already been shaped.
Bridging the Gap Between Observation and Community Action
Stepping out of the classroom and into the role of Director of Tribal and Community Engagement at ICRG has given me a new vantage point, but my core mission has not changed. As a Native woman, my outlook is deeply rooted in responsibility to the community and the protection of our next seven generations. In Tribal communities, our young people are our future leaders, culture bearers, and storytellers. Protecting them requires us to look ahead, recognize emerging risks, and build strong safeguards before harm takes root.
In the classroom, educators see the early warning signs: distracted minds, changing behaviors, and the normalized presence of risk-based digital games. As Director of Tribal and Community Engagement, my work centers on translating those everyday classroom observations into meaningful community partnerships, actionable research, and culturally grounded solutions.
Teen Gambling Prevention Through Youth Gambling Education
Teen gambling prevention must begin before patterns of behavior and exposure become deeply ingrained. Through authentic community engagement and youth gambling education, we can bridge the gap between classroom reality and effective prevention by:
- Normalizing Early Conversations: Equipping teachers, counselors, and parents with the language to discuss risk, chance, and digital gambling exposure with middle and high school students.
- Integrating Culturally Grounded Education: Grounding outreach in Indigenous values by emphasizing stewardship, balance, and thoughtful decision-making rather than relying solely on abstract rules.
- Fostering Cross-Sector Leadership: Bringing Tribal leaders, gaming commissioners, educators, and health directors together to create cohesive, youth-centered prevention strategies.
Supporting Our Next Generation Tribal Leaders
Transitioning from an educator to leading Tribal and community engagement at ICRG is not about stepping away from community. It is about bringing our voices, sovereignty, and lived experiences directly to the forefront of responsible gaming research and education. By leveraging our collective strength and centering our cultural values, we can ensure that as technology and gaming evolve, our support for emerging Native leaders evolves even faster.
