Malaysian Schools Win Awards for Innovative Mental Health Solutions

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 21, 2025 — Twelve Malaysian schools from Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Terengganu have been honored with RM11,400 in prizes for their groundbreaking mental health initiatives under the MINDSHIFT Competition, a collaboration between LeapEd Services and Yayasan Hasanah. Addressing Malaysia’s escalating children’s mental health crisis, the MINDSHIFT programme empowered 198 teachers across 71 schools, impacting 35,000 students. Notable winners include SMK Kuala Jenderis’ “Juggek D’Bamboo,” which used bamboo-based healing spaces to boost student happiness by 5%, and SK Air Baruk’s “Let’s Move It,” raising awareness of exercise’s mental health benefits from 68% to 97%. SK Pelangai’s “Fun SPel” improved attendance from 88% to 92%. With one in six Malaysian children facing mental health challenges, these scalable interventions highlight the urgent need for early, school-based solutions to foster resilience and equity.