AIA Thailand honors 34 schools nationwide with AIA Healthiest Schools Awards

Bangkok, 19 June 2023 – AIA Thailand, a leader in life insurance and health services, in its pledge to help billions of people live “Healthier, Longer, Better Lives,” delivers better health and quality of life to Thai youths via its “AIA Healthiest Schools Programme” launched in October 2022, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), to promote healthy living habits among students aged 5 - 16.

The programme has received warm response from elementary and secondary schools, with over 260 institutions applying to enter the challenge from across the country. AIA has awarded a total of 34 schools in both elementary and secondary levels, selected by a committee of experts, and to honor schools hailed as models for encouraging healthy habits among students and school staff, AIA held the AIA Healthiest Schools Awards Ceremony 2023 at the AIA Leadership Centre, AIA Sathorn Tower.

The event was presided over by Dr. Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich, Deputy Minister of Education, together with four other experts including Dr. Ratthasart Korrasud, Deputy Director of Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), Dr. Sanga Damapong, Advisor to Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Associate Professor Dr. Chanuanthong Thanasugarn, Director of Megacity Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Center, Yothi Medical Innovation District, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and former dean of the Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University and Miss Watcharee Sirikajorndechsakul, Director of Learning & Development of AIA Thailand who attended the event to present the awards to the schools that have won. Also present at the ceremony were AIA Group executives, Mr. Stuart Woollford, Director of Group Brand and management of AIA Thailand led by Mr. Nikhil Advani, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Aekkaratt Thitimon, Chief Marketing Officer and Mr. Chutapatr Laothamatas, Director of Digital Solutions and Design, AIA Wellness.

Dr. Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich, Deputy Minister of Education, stated, “On behalf of the Ministry of Education, I would like to thank AIA Group and AIA Thailand for recognizing the importance of youth health and launching the “AIA Healthiest Schools Awards.” The Ministry of Education has focused on collaborating with potential partners, especially in health and nutrition, as a major step towards sustainable development of healthier and better quality of life of young people and Thai society. This cooperation between AIA and the Ministry of Education not only helps to build a strong society based on healthy lifestyles, it also extends the Ministry’s policy to schools nationwide, implementing our goals. The AIA Healthiest Schools Programme therefore doesn’t end at this award ceremony, the healthy habits that the students and the school staff learned in this programme will also be passed on to their families. I would like to congratulate every school that has been granted an award and hope that it will encourage them to continue working hard to build strong young people for society”

Dr. Ratthasart Korrasud, Deputy Director Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), stated “On behalf of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency, we are very glad to collaborate with AIA to support the "AIA Healthiest Schools Programme", which is one of the first projects in Thailand that is aimed to support the health of Thai children in a holistic way by cultivating health care since childhood both in family and at school which is the fundamental of a healthy society as the good ignited start a sustainable society. According to depa's vision, we have developed and worked for the better future standard of Thai people in terms of elevating Thai Digital Economy to the world's leading. To actualize the well-being standard, we have realized to focus on not only education but also on good mental and physical health, healthy eating, and also take care of the environment, as all these factors are essential to support people to attain sustainable well-being. As developing the quality of life requires cooperation of multiple stakeholders, it's our pleasure, for depa to join the programme initiated by AIA in the first year to inspire and show our communities how to make positive changes in real life. We would like to congratulate all of the schools awarded this year and we look forward to cooperating with AIA, in AIA Healthiest Schools Programme in the years to come.”

Mr. Nikhil Advani, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Thailand, said, “AIA Thailand congratulates every school that has received an AIA Healthiest Schools Award this time. We have seen sincere efforts by every participating school and are proud that they have used teaching materials developed under this programme in their curriculum, allowing this programme to contribute to building a sustainably healthy society for Thai students and young people, in line with our pledge for ‘Healthier, Longer, Better Lives’ which is a mission that AIA is fully committed to, with an aim to increase health and quality of living for Thai people. The AIA Healthiest Schools Programme supports young people to live healthy lives and have positive habits for their own health and community, focusing on four topics, including healthy eating, active lifestyle, mental wellbeing and health  and sustainability. This is because AIA believes good health starts from a young age and we hope this programme will be a starting point for building a sustainable future for Thai children, communities and society at large.”  

“Winning schools in both elementary and secondary levels will participate in an international competition alongside winning schools from Australia, Vietnam and Hong Kong, which will be held on July 4 in Malaysia. I’m sending my best wishes to Thai schools and wish them success in the competition. I’d also like to invite schools nationwide to register in the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme 2023, which will start accepting applications in late August this year. Let’s join hands to build healthy schools for Thai youths.” Nikhil added.  

The AIA Healthiest Schools Awards Winners are as follow. 

•    Primary School Winner– Award amount of 360,000 baht
Daroonwittaya Tedsaban Muangnan (Bansuantan) School was awarded the first prize for AIA Healthiest Schools – Elementary Level. The school organizes various health-promoting activities through the “Happiness in School” project, including growing organic vegetables, safe food, waste collection, physical workouts, praying, and Good Will Bank. It also promotes learning and positive habits among students and adopts technology in communications schoolwide to promote healthy lifestyles for students and create confidence for long-term implementation of the projects. 

 
•    Secondary School Winner – Award amount of 360,000 baht
Tessaban 1 Kittikachorn School, Tak won the first prize for AIA Healthiest Schools Secondary Level for using the programme’s teaching resources and conducting a survey among students, teachers and parents to organize activities for students. Some of these include “Good Food Good Mood Project” which focuses on eating healthy food, checking contamination in drinking water, promoting physical workouts and finding students’ recreation space. The school also has a “Friendly Clinic for Teen” where students can talk about their personal issues and seek advice, to promote sustainable health and quality of life. 
 
•    Primary School Runner-ups, award amount of 180,000 baht per school
1. Ban Kad How School, Chiang Mai
Ban Kad How School organizes projects that are beneficial to students, parents and the community, including a pioneer learning center, eating and living awareness promotion for happy lives, health promotion for new generation, healthy Thai children project, and life skill training project. It also allocates space conducive to learning and provides healthy lunches to children. 

2. Baan Promboon School, Khon Kaen
Baan Promboon School introduced a Happy Time Happy Life project that includes various activities including Happy Dancing (physical workout), Happy Brain, Happy Time (meditation), Happy Talking (mental wellness), Happy Meal and Happy Drinking (eating healthy food and drinking enough) for students. The aim is for students to be well physically and mentally, by encouraging them to adopt healthy habits to the extent that they are sustainably ingrained in their daily lives. 

3. Baan Sala School, Chiang Mai
Baan Sala School has implemented a number of health promoting activities meeting all the four basic principles of the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme. Its focus is on the school to be a learning center for growing chemical-free, organic vegetables, safe food practices and other nutrition activities. 

• Secondary School Runner-ups, award amount of 180,000 baht per school
1. Thasalaprasitsuksa School, Nakhon Si Thammarat
Thasalaprasitsuksa School launched a “ Transformation Thasalaprasit for a Better Life” project, led by students who co-designed the project with teachers to participate in the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme. It includes six activities: Healthy Heroes, BMI… Be New You, Healthy Food Good Body, Club EOB (End of Bullying), What are your heart rate? and DMT OLAV U (monitoring air pollution), covering all four topics of the programme. 

2. Phanphittayakom School, Chiang Rai
Phanphittayakom School has a “health promotion school” project that seeks to reform health habits for both physical and mental wellbeing of students and school staff. For physical wellbeing, it encourages being active, healthy eating, taking annual physical exams, sports activities, Muay Thai, whereas for mental welling, it offers advice for those suffering from depression. 

3. Klongjilad Municipal School 2, Krabi
Klongjilad Municipal School 2 has a “health promoting school” project that aims to teach students to recognize the importance of reading labels on food, medicine and cosmetics to prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). It raises awareness among parents and the community by organizing public relations events and campaigns outside school. It also conducts field with ‘Mini FDA” or youths that work in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s task that randomly checks labels for public benefits, such as in temples and communities. It also holds other activities that promote eating nutritious food and fruits, collecting samples from drinking water and water sources within school premises, physical workouts, garbage management, use of cotton bags, growing vegetables, fish farming, first aid practices, among other things. 

•    Best Category Award, award amount of 50,000 baht per school

Best Healthy Eating Award 
-      Rajavinit Prathom Bangkae School, Bangkok 

Best Active Lifestyle Award
-    Heathfield International School, Bangkok 

Best Mental Health Award
-    St. Andrews International School Sathorn, Bangkok

Best  Health and Sustainability Award
-    Banthakam School, Pattani 

•    Honorable Mention Awards, award amount of 36,000 baht per school
Elementary level
-    Watdonsaikaew School, Chumphon 
-    Chumchon Bannagun School, Songkhla  
-    Ban Kok-jamroen School, Surin
-    Ban Donpha-ong School, Ubon Ratchathani 
-    Wat Utapao School, Suphan Buri
-    Ban Kotabaru School, Yala
-    Banjanthai School, Ubon Ratchatani
-    Ban Nongyaplong School, Buriram
-    Ban Phuepok School, Sisaket
-    Ban Pamaisahakorn School, Buriram
-    Chumchonbantakwang School, Trat
-    Bannahuaydangdongsamrong School, Ubon Ratchathani
-    Satit Bilingual School of Rangsit University, Pathum Thani 
-    Banbangsamae School, Chon Buri
-    Watprachabumrungkit School, Chacheongsao 

Secondary level
-    Sathasilapechrungsun School, Nan 
-    Traill International School, Bangkok 
-    Maetang School, Chiang Mai
-    Sinakhon School, Sukhothai
-    Thammasat Secondary School, Pathum Thani 
-    Sriwilaiwittaya School, Bueng Kan
-    Thai Sikh International School, Samut Prakarn 

Schools interested in registering for “AIA Healthiest Schools 2023” can find more information at ahs.aia.com/th/th/ where teaching resources can also be accessed. Schools are welcome to submit entries for the second edition of the programme from August 29, 2023 onwards.