AIA brings Healthiest Schools programme to New Zealand to support healthier futures for Kiwi kids

AIA New Zealand 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.

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 guidelines¹. 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 wellbeing².

With schools, whānau 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 proudly partnered with the Young & Healthy Charitable Trust to help bring AIA Healthiest Schools 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 and helping children develop the habits to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.

Teachers can access a full suite of free, curriculum-linked resources, including lesson plans, teacher guides, worksheets, posters, in-class activity plans and videos. While part of a global programme, the resources have been adapted for New Zealand, with clear links to the New Zealand Curriculum. Schools simply register on the website to access all materials.

To encourage participation in this great 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. Teachers and students work together to plan and deliver their initiative, whether it focuses on healthy eating, physical activity, mental wellbeing or environmental health.

Prizes include $40,000 for first place, $20,000 for second, $10,000 for third, and five highly commended awards of $2,000, giving schools across Aotearoa meaningful support to expand or embed the positive changes they have already achieved. The competition runs from 1 June to 3 December 2026, and any registered New Zealand primary school can enter via the AIA Healthiest Schools NZ website

The programme is centred around four core wellbeing pillars: healthy eating, active lifestyles, mental wellbeing and environmental sustainability, helping teachers bring meaningful health focused learning into their classrooms in engaging ways.

Physical activity has been shown to generate significant academic gains, with New Zealand and international research demonstrating up to four months of additional progress in spelling and maths when movement is embedded in lessons². It also boosts engagement, attendance and students’ sense of belonging, supporting better learning and wellbeing outcomes³.

Evidence shows that healthy habits formed early in life are more likely to continue into adulthood. Sport NZ highlights that play in childhood helps develop a lifelong love of being active. ⁴ Long‑term studies also show that children’s activity behaviours tend to remain stable as they grow, meaning habits developed when young are more likely to persist. ⁴

Alex Kühnast, Chief Product & Marketing Officer at AIA New Zealand, says 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,” says Alex.

“Healthy habits built early are far more likely to last, and AIA Healthiest Schools is about supporting those moments in classrooms where habits are formed, helping set the next generation up to thrive.”

Kim Harvey, Founder of the Young & Healthy Charitable Trust, says the partnership reflects a shared commitment to prevention and early intervention.

“The Young & Healthy Trust has designed and delivered impactful programmes like the Power Up Virtual Adventure to more than 180,000 children over the past eight years. The programmes help teachers encourage tamariki to engage in fun, everyday real‑life activities that build the habits that support their energy, wellbeing and learning,” says Kim.

“We are really excited to provide teachers with the additional resources from AIA Healthiest Schools, including the opportunity to showcase the great wellbeing initiatives happening in their schools with the chance to win some amazing prizes.”

“By supporting our incredible teachers and giving tamariki simple, fun ways to build healthy habits, we can create positive change that extends beyond the classroom into families and communities across Aotearoa.”

For more information, to register, or to enter the competition, visit the AIA Healthiest Schools website: https://ahs.aia.com/nz