Teaching kids money skills through gaming: The vision behind Gold Rush Galaxy

As financial literacy becomes increasingly important in today’s world, innovative approaches are emerging to help children understand money management from an early age. One such initiative is Gold Rush Galaxy, a game-based learning platform created by Stephen Dada to teach children concepts such as saving, investing, entrepreneurship, and responsible financial decision-making. In this interview, Dada discusses the inspiration behind the platform, its impact on young learners, and his vision for the future of financial education. TAOFEEK OYEDOKUN excerpts: 

Can you briefly walk us through your personal and professional journey, and how it inspired the creation of Gold Rush Galaxy?

Gold Rush Galaxy was inspired by my background in education, international business, and social innovation.

My first degree is in information science from Nigeria’s premier university of education. I later earned a Master’s degree in International Business and Management from the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. I am also as a business development consultant with experience supporting entrepreneurial networks across Nigeria and different regions of Africa.

My work has been guided by a central question: how do we solve today’s problems in ways that improve society tomorrow?

Many societal challenges, including poverty, debt, failed businesses, and financial fraud, are closely linked to poor financial decision making and limited early education in money management.

Gold Rush Galaxy was created to address this gap early in life. It is an educational technology platform designed as a game that teaches financial literacy, investing, entrepreneurship, and decision making in a practical and engaging way for children.

Although I live in England and initially built it for a global audience, my vision strongly includes Nigeria. I want every child, regardless of background, to have access to quality financial education and be on the same pedestal with their western counterparts.

I believe early financial literacy at scale can help develop a more financially aware and entrepreneurially minded generation, with significant long term impact on economic development.

Many financial literacy tools focus on saving, but Gold Rush Galaxy emphasises investing and risk taking. Why was it important to teach children that making money often involves both gains and losses?

Saving alone is not enough to build sustainable wealth. Wealth creation comes through investing, entrepreneurship, and informed risk taking. However, most children are not taught how to navigate uncertainty or learn from financial outcomes.

Gold Rush Galaxy reflects real economic life by introducing both gains and losses.

The aim is to help children understand that loss is part of learning, not final failure. It builds resilience, judgment, and the ability to make better decisions over time.

The game imposes taxes, idle cash penalties, and loan repayments. What lessons do you hope children learn from these mechanics?

These mechanics mirror real economic systems. Taxes teach responsibility. Loan repayments teach accountability. Idle cash penalties teach that money must remain productive.

Together, they reinforce that financial success is not only about earning money, but managing it effectively through discipline, planning, and long term thinking.

As concerns grow globally about children’s screen time and online safety, what measures have you built into the game?

Child safety and digital wellbeing are central to the platform. Gold Rush Galaxy is designed for learning, not addiction. It avoids manipulative engagement systems, harmful content, and unsafe interactions.

The platform is completely free and ad free, with no commercial targeting. It also collects no personal data. Users only create a profile name and PIN, ensuring anonymity.

A parent dashboard provides visibility into activity, screen time, and a SWOT based analysis of financial decision patterns. The platform is web based and accessible on both mobile and desktop devices.

The guiding principle is simple: technology must educate and protect, not exploit.

Have you conducted any testing with children, parents, or schools? What feedback has surprised you most?

Yes. Since launch in May, we have recorded about 150 active users across the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

A built-in feedback system allows users to report issues and suggest improvements. The response has been strong.

What stands out most is how quickly children grasp complex financial concepts such as investing, diversification, and debt management through gameplay. Parents also report that children are now engaging more confidently in conversations about money and business.

The early impact has been deeply encouraging given the time and resources invested in building the platform.

If a child remembers only one lesson from the game, what should it be?

That wealth is built through decisions, not luck. Money is not only earned, it is managed and multiplied through consistent, informed choices over time.

Looking ahead, what is your broader vision for Gold Rush Galaxy?

The vision extends beyond gaming into a full financial education ecosystem. Gold Rush Galaxy combines gamified learning, entrepreneurship training, and real world economic simulations.

Schools are central to this vision. We have already developed systems for customised school accounts, enabling structured use for students aged six to sixteen, ideally on a weekly basis.

The goal is global adoption as a financial education tool that prepares young people for economic responsibility and opportunity.

We are actively seeking partnerships and support to keep the platform permanently free. We also plan to introduce structured competitions where children can demonstrate financial decision making skills and earn meaningful rewards such as scholarships, investment seed capital, and educational opportunities.

Ultimately, the objective is to develop a generation that makes better financial decisions, builds stronger communities, and contributes to stronger economies.