AIA Healthiest Schools Programme Returns for Year 2!

The AIA Healthiest Schools (AHS) programme is back for its second year, welcoming schools across Malaysia to be part of a unique initiative focused on fostering health and wellness within school communities. 

Endorsed by the Ministry of Education Malaysia, the AHS programme is designed to encourage healthy living habits among students aged five to 16 years old. The programme which is open to all government, private, and international schools for both primary and secondary levels, provides free downloadable teaching resources (available in English, Bahasa Melayu and Mandarin) to empower school teachers to introduce health and well-being concepts effectively into their classrooms.

To further motivate participating schools to showcase their impact and success in driving better health outcomes amongst students, the AHS programme also includes a competition that offers prizes totalling up to USD100,000. 

In the programme’s first year, more than 35 entries were received from schools across Malaysia for the AHS Competition where 18 schools were honoured for their exceptional efforts in promoting health and wellness through innovative and impactful projects. SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) and SMK Convent Butterworth emerged as top winners in the primary and secondary categories, respectively. 

Notably, SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) distinguished itself on the regional stage after being crowned the regional winner of the AIA Healthiest Schools Competition – outshining winning schools from five other AIA markets and earning their school an impressive USD100,000. Their standout project featured the ‘HELPIE’ health mobile app that helps promote mental health awareness through interactive tools, games, and campaigns whilst empowering students to understand and manage stress.

To help teachers seamlessly integrate and adapt the AHS programme into their existing teaching plans, AIA Malaysia’s education partner – LeapEd conducts hands-on workshops for added support. From incorporating mindful practices into daily routines to fostering healthy eating habits, the interactive workshops offer actionable steps to create a healthier school environment. Teachers gain practical, easy-to-implement techniques, and explore strategies to foster resilience and promote positive mental health in their students. 

This year’s AHS workshops kicked off in Klang Valley as well as Perlis. The first phase of the workshops which took place in October is designed to assist teachers in exploring the free resources, which includes structured lesson plans, engaging activities, interactive games, and short films. The second phase scheduled in December, will focus on guiding and preparing teachers to develop compelling entries for the AHS competition. 

The AHS programme was launched by AIA Group in 2022 as part of its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy with the purpose of bringing positive impact to the improvement of children’s health across the region. Initially launched in four of AIA’s 18 markets – Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam, the programme welcomed Malaysia and Indonesia during its second edition in 2023.

Interested primary and secondary schools can register and find more information about AHS at https://ahs.aia.com/my/en where teaching resources can also be downloaded for free. Entries for the AHS competition are open until 8 March 2025.