BALI: SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) proudly won USD100,000 (approximately RM470,000) at the AIA Healthiest Schools (AHS) Regional Awards ceremony held on Thursday (June 27) in Indonesia.

The primary school won the grand prize, surpassing winning schools from five other AIA markets — Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia, and Vietnam.

Earlier, on June 19, SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) and SMK Convent Butterworth received USD13,000 (RM60,600) each for coming out on top in their respective categories at the AHS national-level competition.

Both schools then represented Malaysia and competed regionally against the five other participating countries across Asia-Pacific.

SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) emerged as the winner for its innovative HELPIE health mobile application, designed to improve students’ mental well-being by offering tools for stress identification and management, as well as fun games and health campaigns.

The project yielded impressive results, with over 500 students experiencing a drop in stress levels from 34% to 18%, and 92% of the students reporting better emotional understanding.

Teacher and HELPIE project lead, Mohd Saharudin Setapa, said the award recognises the hard work of his students and himself.

“We will try to sustain this project using the prize money and hopefully expand it to other countries to encourage better mental health and well-being in students everywhere.

“I would like to thank the principals, parents, and students for all their contributions and support to this project,” he said.

Meanwhile, SMK Convent Butterworth senior assistant of student affairs, Suzana Khamis, who showcased their Eco-Jump Rope and Dumbbell, said they were proud of their project and happy to have competed regionally.

The project promotes fitness and sustainability, fostering creativity, teamwork, and a greener lifestyle among students.

Endorsed by the Education Ministry, the AIA Healthiest Schools programme is designed to encourage healthy living habits among students aged five to 16 by promoting healthy eating, active lifestyles, mental well-being, and sustainability in schools.

The programme also provides free downloadable resources to equip teachers to effectively introduce health and well-being concepts into their classrooms.