STORY PREVIEW

2024

HELPIE: THE HEALTHIEST SCHOOL PROJECT

SK PUTRAJAYA PRESINT 11(1)

Putrajaya

MENTOR

MOHD SAHARUDIN BIN SETAPA

Step 1 FEEL

List the challenges or problems in your surroundings (school,neighbourhood etc.) that bothered you.

One problem that really bothered us in our school was the amount of stress we noticed among our friends. After the pandemic, many students felt overwhelmed with their schoolwork, and some were even too scared to come to school because they were afraid of falling behind. A survey showed that 26% of primary school pupils in Malaysia felt stressed about their studies. This made us worried because when people are stressed, they can feel sad, tired, or even get sick. We realized that our friends didn’t know how to handle their stress properly, and neither did we. This pushed us to take action. We wanted to create something that would help everyone manage their stress better and live happier lives, which led to the creation of our HELPIE app.

State the problem chosen to work and why.

In our school, we noticed a big problem where many of our friends were feeling stressed. Some were having trouble with their schoolwork and even had serious thoughts like suicide. We saw that when people are stressed, they can feel sad, tired, or even get sick. This made us feel worried, and we knew we had to help. We wanted to create something that would help students feel better and manage their stress. That’s why we created HELPIE. HELPIE is an app that helps students understand their emotions and teaches them ways to deal with stress. It’s easy to use and has fun games, surveys, and tools to help everyone live a happier life.

Who were the people affected by the problem? What were their primary concerns?

The people most affected by the stress problem in our school were the students, teachers, and even some parents. Many students, especially those struggling with their schoolwork, felt a lot of pressure to do well. Some of them became so stressed that they didn’t want to come to school because they were afraid of falling behind. They were worried about their grades and felt less confident in themselves. Some students didn’t know how to deal with their feelings and felt sad or tired all the time. Besides, teachers were also affected because they saw their students struggling, and it made them feel stressed too. They wanted to help but didn’t always know the best way to make their students feel better. Parents were concerned about their children’s health and well-being, especially when they saw them losing interest in school or becoming unhappy. These worries made us realize how important it was to create something like HELPIE to help everyone manage their stress better.

Step 2 IMAGINE

List ALL the different solutions you came up with.

Before we created HELPIE, we thought about different ways to help our friends with their stress. At first, we thought of making a simple game using flashcards. These cards would show different emotions, like happy, sad, or angry to help students understand how they feel. We made the flashcards to use both online and offline so students could play anywhere. While this idea was fun, we realized it wasn’t enough to truly help students manage their stress. Next, we thought about creating a board game to make learning about emotions and stress more interactive. But after talking with our teachers and team, we saw that a board game might not keep students interested for very long. We knew we needed something more exciting and useful, so we decided to create a mobile app. This is how HELPIE 2.0 came to life. The app not only teaches students about emotions but also helps them handle stress through games, surveys, and other fun features.

Which solution from those listed above did you choose to implement and why?

After thinking about different ideas to help our friends with their stress, we decided to create a mobile app called HELPIE. We chose this idea because it would be more exciting and useful for students than the flashcards or board game we first thought of. We wanted something that could help students in a fun way and be easy to use anytime, anywhere. With HELPIE, students can learn about their emotions through games, quizzes, and even take part in surveys to check how they are feeling. The app also helps them find ways to manage their stress. We thought an app would be the best choice because almost everyone has access to a phone or tablet, and it’s something students can use at home or at school. The goal of HELPIE is to make students feel more confident about dealing with stress and understanding their feelings. It’s fun, easy to use, and helps students improve their mental health.

Step 3DO

Describe very briefly the process of implementing your solution(s).

After we decided to create HELPIE, we started working on building the app. With the help of our teachers, it took us about four months to design and develop the app. During this time, we faced some challenges. For example, we didn’t have enough tablets, so students had to share devices. We also had to balance working on the app with our schoolwork, but with teamwork and support from our school, we made it happen! Once the app was ready, we tested it in more than 10 classes, and over 500 students got to use it. The feedback was great! Students enjoyed the games that helped them understand their feelings and the card therapy game where they could play with others. The surveys in the app also helped students check their health and figure out what might be causing their stress. Even though it was hard at times, creating HELPIE was worth it because it made a big difference in helping students manage their stress and feel more confident.

What was the result or impact of your project?

The HELPIE project had a big impact on our school and community. Over 500 students used the app, and it helped them feel better about their stress and emotions. Many students loved playing the games, like the feelings game and the card therapy game, which made learning about emotions fun and easy. These games helped them understand their feelings while enjoying time with their friends. The health status survey in the app helped students figure out what was causing their stress and allowed them to share how they were feeling. Teachers and parents saw a change in students, noticing they were becoming more confident and less stressed. Some students even started talking more openly about their emotions, which was a great result. HELPIE’s success didn’t just stop at our school. We shared it with other schools in Putrajaya, and the feedback was really positive. Because of the great impact HELPIE had, we were proud to win the Regional Award at the AIA Healthiest School Challenge. This award shows how our project made a real difference in helping students manage their stress and improve their mental health.

How many people were impacted by your solution(s)?

500

What did the impacted people have to say about your project? Provide 2 quotes or testimonials:

The HELPIE project had a big impact on students, teachers, and parents in our school. Many students said they felt happier and less stressed after using the app. They enjoyed the games and activities that helped them learn about their feelings in a fun way. One student said, "I really like the feelings game in HELPIE because it helped me understand my emotions, and it was fun to play with my friends!" Teachers also noticed a positive change in their students. They saw that students were more confident and open about talking about their emotions. One teacher shared, "Since using HELPIE, my students are more willing to discuss how they feel. The app has helped them manage their stress, and I’ve seen a big difference in their attitude towards learning." Parents were happy to see their children more confident and less worried about school. The positive feedback we received shows that HELPIE is making a real difference in helping students feel better about their emotions and schoolwork.

What challenges did you encounter while implementing your project, and how did you overcome them?

While we were working on the HELPIE project, we faced several challenges. One of the biggest problems was not having enough tablets for all the students to use the app. Because of this, students had to share tablets in small groups, which made it harder for everyone to get a chance to use the app. Another challenge was balancing our schoolwork with building and testing the app. It was hard to find time to do both. We overcame these challenges by working together as a team. Our school helped by providing more tablets for students to use, which made it easier for more students to access HELPIE. We also got a lot of support from our teachers, who helped us manage our time so we could work on the app while still keeping up with our schoolwork. Even though it was tough at times, we didn’t give up, and we were able to make HELPIE a success, reaching over 500 students in our school.

How long did it take to implement your solution?

MORE THAN 30 DAYS

Which global goals does your story align with?

Good health and well being

Please explain briefly why do you think so?

We believe HELPIE is closely related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being because it helps students manage their stress and emotions in a healthy way. Stress can affect both mental and physical health, and when students feel too much stress, it can make them sad, tired, or even sick. By using HELPIE, students can learn how to deal with their feelings better, making them feel happier and healthier. HELPIE teaches students about emotions through fun games, quizzes, and surveys. It also gives them tools to understand what is causing their stress and how to handle it. When students know how to manage their stress, they feel more confident, and their overall well-being improves. By helping students take care of their mental health, HELPIE supports SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all. Our project focuses on making sure students not only do well in school but also feel good inside, which is an important part of living a healthy and happy life.

Step 4 SHARE

How did you share your project with your school and community? Who did you share your project with? What was their response?

We shared our HELPIE project with our school and the community by visiting classrooms and showing students and teachers how to use the app. More than 500 students in our school started using HELPIE, and the response was very positive. Students loved playing the games and learning about their emotions in a fun way. Teachers said they noticed a big improvement in their students, as they became more confident and open about talking about their feelings. We didn’t stop at our school. We also shared HELPIE with other schools and communities, including other schools in Putrajaya. They were impressed by the app and said it was a great way to help students manage their stress and improve their mental health. Because of the success of HELPIE, we plan to make it available on Google Play so even more students can use it.

Approximately how many people did you share your story of change with?

More than 100

Briefly share your plan to sustain the impact of your project?

To keep the impact of our HELPIE project strong, we have some important plans. First, we want to make HELPIE available on Google Play so that more students can download and use the app. This will help students not just in our school, but all over Malaysia and even in other countries. We will continue updating the app by adding new features, like more games and activities, to make it even more fun and helpful. With these plans, we hope that HELPIE will keep helping students improve their mental health and live happier lives for a long time.

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