Manulife HK and JUST FEEL team up to foster 'compassionate school culture'

Manulife Hong Kong and JUST FEEL, a Hong Kong-based NGO dedicated to emotional education, have formed a multi-year strategic charity partnership to allow closer collaboration with partner schools to foster a "compassionate school culture" among students, teachers and parents.

This collaboration aims to enhance awareness of students’ emotional well-being within schools and the broader community, and is expected to reach over 100 primary schools and 150,000 students, teachers, and parents cumulatively. This partnership aligns with Manulife’s Impact Agenda, demonstrating the company’s key commitment to empowering sustained health and wellbeing within the community.

The partnership kicks off with a flag design competition, encouraging students to recognise and express their feelings through artwork. Flag papers will be distributed at the "My Flag Day" event scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year to enhance public emotional awareness.

From 24 April to 29 April, Manulife and JUST FEEL will showcase the outstanding student works from the "My Flag Day" Flag Paper Design Competition to the public and host an emotional interactive exhibition at Kai Tak Sports Park. The exhibition will feature five emotion-themed interactive installations, including the "Reflection Station", "Needs Station", "Sharing Station", "Care Station", and "Signal Station". In addition to checking-in and taking photos, visitors will have the opportunity to reflect on their own and their loved ones' emotional wellbeing.

As part of the collaboration, Manulife and JUST FEEL are also pioneering the "Re:FEEL School Starter Kit (Compassionate School Programme)" to provide a relationship building curriculum, communication tools, and consultation services to schools as a trial. The initiative aims to foster teacher-student relationships, student connections, and a compassionate school culture.

Another major initiative is JUST FEEL teacher community, which aims to empower educators to promote social emotional learning and compassionate communication. Through cross-school workshops, lectures, and online discussions, educators will learn how to incorporate these concepts into their lessons.

Furthermore, Manulife and JUST FEEL have developed the first emotional course for financial advisors in Hong Kong, equipping them with communication skills to build client relationships with empathy.

JUST FEEL feelings and needs cards will also be launched. Featuring cartoon illustrations, the cards assist students, teachers and parents in communication, as well as help students recognise and express their feelings and needs, thereby enhancing students' emotional well-being.

"Emotional wellbeing is a vital component of one's overall wellbeing, and fostering emotional education from an early age is essential," said Celia Ling, chief marketing officer of Manulife Hong Kong and Macau. “Our partnership with JUST FEEL leverages their expertise in emotional education to jointly cultivate a compassionate school culture. This partnership resonates with our Impact Agenda, particularly our commitment to empowering sustained health and wellbeing. Through JUST FEEL's extensive campus network, we aim to engage students, teachers and parents, comprehensively promoting emotional education and supporting the holistic development of students' wellbeing.”

"We are grateful to Manulife for their generous support of JUST FEEL to systematically promote compassionate communication and social-emotional learning in local schools in Hong Kong. Manulife values the physical and mental well-being of its customers, aligning perfectly with the vision of JUST FEEL. We look forward to future collaborations with Manulife to transform the communication culture in schools and families, thereby enhancing students' emotional wellbeing," said Raymond Yang, co-founder and executive director of JUST FEEL.

"Since the resumption of classes after the epidemic, the education sector has gradually discovered that an increasing number of students are facing emotional issues. However, many schools and teachers are struggling with a lack of space and resources to design teaching materials and curricula for emotional education. I am pleased to see Manulife collaborating with JUST FEEL to promote compassionate communication and social-emotional learning, encouraging society to pay more attention to students' emotional wellbeing. The JUST FEEL team is working alongside partner schools to identify their needs and develop suitable solutions to ensure students receive prompt support," said Ada Cheung, a former primary school principal.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Manulife for more information.

Manulife has been committed to empowering wellbeing of the community over the years. Back in May 2024, Manulife Hong Kong and mental health charity Mind HK (香港心聆) inked deal to address misconceptions towards mental health and empower sustained health and wellbeing. 

As part of the two-year campaign, also known as “Strategic Charity Partnership”, Manulife and Mind HK will co-organise a series of awareness events, anti-stigma programmes, and ongoing training initiatives to raise mental health awareness and support the mental health services in Hong Kong.

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