International College Hong Kong Hong Lok Yuen and Hong Kong True Light College were crowned champions, winning US$100,000 and representing Hong Kong at the regional final
The Competition is a key highlight of the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme. This year’s Competition marked its fourth edition in Hong Kong and achieved a record-high level of participation, with the number of participating schools increasing by 24% year-on-year.
Each winning school will receive a cash award of US$50,000 to further develop its school-based health initiatives. The schools will also represent Hong Kong at the regional final in Thailand, where they will engage with education experts and schools from across Asia to further advance their healthy school development efforts.
Ms Melissa Wong, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of AIA Hong Kong and Macau, said:
“At AIA, we believe that building good habits and developing health knowledge from an early age are key to enabling people to live well over the long term. Through the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme, we aim to support schools, students and families in embedding wellbeing into everyday life, while raising health literacy across our community.
We are encouraged not only by the growing participation, but also by the meaningful impact of initiatives led by schools. We would like to sincerely thank all participating schools, as well as our partners and judges, for their collective efforts in taking the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme from strength to strength. Looking ahead, we are committed to further expanding the programme’s reach and impact, in support of AIA One Billion – our commitment to engage one billion people to take action for their Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.”
Advancing Wellbeing through Programme, Competition and Partnerships
Launched by AIA Group in 2022, the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme provides primary and secondary schools with free, expert-developed educational resources. Covering four key pillars, namely Healthy Eating, Active Lifestyles, Mental Wellbeing, and Health and Sustainability, it supports teachers and parents in helping students develop healthy habits in everyday life. To date, 450 schools across Hong Kong, including publicly funded, direct-subsidy, private and international schools, have participated in the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme.
Through the AIA Healthiest Schools Competition, schools are encouraged to showcase their health initiatives, with winners selected based on the effectiveness and measurable outcomes of their initiatives across the four key pillars.
This year, AIA Hong Kong partnered with the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation for the first time to encourage schools to join and experience the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme through a series of creative workshops. Through activities such as short drama, craft-making and outdoor exploration, the workshops enable students and teachers to develop emotional expression and resilience, while fostering a supportive school culture.
Primary School Winner: International College Hong Kong Hong Lok Yuen
Project focus: building a whole-school approach to emotional intelligence and self-regulation through structured social and emotional learning and a shared wellbeing framework.
International College Hong Kong Hong Lok Yuen adopts a systematic approach to developing students’ emotional intelligence and self-regulation, equipping them with practical skills to understand and manage their emotions. At the core of its approach is an interconnected wellbeing framework that supports students in progressively building relevant competencies throughout their learning journey. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is embedded in the curriculum, with structured teaching of concepts such as self-awareness and interpersonal relationships. This is complemented by outdoor learning and a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including sports programmes and parent-child workshops, supporting students’ holistic development.
Following a review of its existing measures, the school introduced “Zones of Regulation” to establish a shared language for emotional management among students, teachers and parents. This home-school collaboration has strengthened overall wellbeing across the school community. Students have developed personalised strategies for emotional regulation, enabling clearer expression of feelings and more effective responses to challenges. Teachers have become more proactive in responding to students’ emotional needs, while parents have gained a deeper understanding of children’s development and are able to reinforce these practices at home.
Survey results collected through a mental wellbeing assessment platform between September 2025 and January 2026 indicate positive outcomes from these initiatives. Students’ emotional regulation scores increased from 69% to 74%, while emotional wellbeing scores rose from 74% to 83% (with scores above 70% indicating a high level of wellbeing). The school also observed greater confidence among students in expressing their emotions.
Mr Derek Pinchbeck, Head of School, International College Hong Kong Hong Lok Yuen, said: “Our school is committed to fostering a happy and healthy learning environment where every member of the community can flourish. We are honoured to receive this award, which recognises our sustained efforts in supporting students’ social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.”
Secondary School Winner: Hong Kong True Light College
Project focus: applying a research-informed approach to promote whole-person wellbeing, with a structured programme aligned with the four key pillars of the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme.
Hong Kong True Light College is guided by the philosophy of “Strong minds, healthy bodies, outstanding achievements”, with a strong emphasis on students’ physical and mental wellbeing. Under the leadership of Principal Ms Law Chor-wan, the school takes a structured, school-wide approach to promoting student wellbeing. Following a survey assessing students’ wellbeing, the school introduced the “Embrace Health, Empower Your Mind Programme” (EHEM) in the new academic year to address identified needs.
Aligned with the four key pillars of the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme, the initiative promotes overall wellbeing through a combination of curriculum-based and extra-curricular activities. Key initiatives include regular cooking activities and teacher-student cooking competitions to encourage healthy eating habits, alongside the introduction of activities such as archery and fencing within physical education lessons to broaden students’ engagement in physical activity. The school also organises on-campus initiatives, such as a school pet programme and coffee-making workshops, and collaborates with external organisations to host mental health exhibitions. Through volunteer services, students engage with elderly individuals, children and persons in mental health recovery, reinforcing positive values and strengthening connections with the wider community.
Within six months of implementation, students’ self-reported health improved significantly to near full marks, while indicators related to physical activity and emotional wellbeing also showed improvement. The programme has received positive feedback, benefiting 636 students, 80 teachers, 200 parents and more than 150 community members, and contributing to enhanced wellbeing across the school and extending positive impact into the wider community.
