AIA NZ has launched AIA Healthiest Schools New Zealand, a free, curriculum-aligned wellbeing programme designed to help primary school children build healthy habits that last a lifetime.
The insurer said there are more than 900,000 children aged 5–18 in New Zealand, and 43% of young people are not meeting the recommended daily physical activity guidelines.
It noted that research also shows that physically active tamariki engage more in learning, stay in school longer, reach higher levels of achievement, and experience higher levels of mental wellbeing.
“With schools, whanau and communities playing a critical role in shaping healthy habits early in life, the programme provides teachers with practical support to integrate wellbeing into everyday learning.”
AIA has partnered with the Young & Healthy Charitable Trust to help bring its programme into NZ schools. This partnership combines AIA’s focus on long-term wellbeing, with Young & Healthy’s experience delivering practical health education in New Zealand primary schools.
Teachers can access a full suite of free, curriculum-linked resources. While part of a global programme, the resources have been adapted for New Zealand. Schools register on the website to access all materials.
To encourage participation in the programme and help schools bring their wellbeing ideas to life, AIA is offering a national prize pool of $80,000 through the AIA Healthiest Schools NZ competition.
To enter, schools need to complete a wellbeing project that improves the health of their school community and then share what they did and the impact it had.
The competition runs from 1 June to 3 December 2026, and any registered New Zealand primary school can enter here.
Mr Alex Kühnast, Chief Product & Marketing Officer, said supporting the wellbeing of tamariki is a shared responsibility.
“When schools, family and communities come together, we can make a real difference to the wellbeing of our young people.”
He said healthy habits built early are far more likely to last and the programme “…is about supporting those moments in classrooms where habits are formed, helping set the next generation up to thrive.”, reported RiskInfoNZ.