Local School’s Student-Designed Mental Health App Earns Top 10 Spot in World’s Best School Prizes

SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1), a public primary school in WP Putrajaya, Malaysia, has been named a Top 10 finalist for the World’s Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives 2025. The school developed HELPIE, a student-designed mobile app that makes mental health support accessible, interactive, and fun. Addressing findings from a 2023 survey showing 34% of its 1,400 students experienced stress and 47% struggled to express emotions, HELPIE includes gamified emotional awareness tools, self-assessment features, and a chat function for online therapy.

Mental Health App

Paired with printed cards for real-world activities, the app fosters open discussions about emotions. Available on school tablets, it ensures inclusivity. Since implementation, student stress levels dropped by 60%, 90% of students better understand their emotions, and classroom behavior improved by 40%. The initiative also won the AIA Healthiest Schools Competition 2024, and plans are in place to expand HELPIE’s reach via Google Play. The school is a contender for the World’s Best School Prizes, with winners to be announced in October 2025.

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