Key initiatives aim to support emotional education in Hong Kong primary schools and foster a “Compassionate School Culture”
HONG KONG, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Manulife Hong Kong and JUST FEEL, a Hong Kong-based NGO dedicated to emotional education, announced a multi-year strategic charity partnership today. As the first insurer in Hong Kong[1] to support an emotional education programme in schools across the city, Manulife’s partnership with JUST FEEL will enable close 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 well-being within the community.
Manulife and JUST FEEL organized the Strategic Charity Partnership Launch Ceremony and “My Flag Day” Flag Paper Design Competition Award Ceremony at Kai Tak Mall 2, Kai Tak Sports Park today, attended by approximately 100 participants, including nearly 50 primary school principals, students, teachers, and parents.
The “My Flag Day” Flag Paper Design Competition received entries from over 50 primary schools and 2,700 students, and is aimed to encourage students to recognize and express their feelings. The flags will be distributed to the public during the “My Flag Day” event to be held at the end of this year to further enhance emotional awareness among the general public.
From April 24 to April 29, 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 Atrium, Level G, Kai Tak Mall 2, 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 well-being.
“Emotional well-being is a vital component of one’s overall well-being, 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 well-being. 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’ well-being.”
“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 well-being,” 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 well-being. 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.
Manulife and JUST FEEL will collaborate on five major initiatives starting in 2025, covering:
- Manulife supports the “Compassionate School Programme” and pioneers the launch of the “Re:FEEL School Starter Kit”
Manulife and JUST FEEL are 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. - JUST FEEL Teacher Community
This is the first teacher community[1] 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. - JUST FEEL Feelings and Needs Cards (Bear Hug Edition)
Featuring cartoon illustrations, the cards assist students, teachers and parents in communication, as well as help students recognize and express their feelings and needs, thereby enhancing students’ emotional well-being. - First Emotional Course for Financial Advisors in Hong Kong
Manulife and JUST FEEL have developed the first emotional course for financial advisors[1] in Hong Kong, equipping them with communication skills to build client relationships with empathy. - First “My Flag Day” encouraging students and the public to express their feelings
The partnership kicks off with a flag design competition, encouraging students to recognize 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.
Manulife and JUST FEEL have established a multi-year strategic charity partnership to support an emotional education programme in schools across the city and enhance awareness of students’ emotional well-being within schools and the broader community. From left to right are: Crystal Chan, Board Chairperson of JUST FEEL, Raymond Yang, Co-founder and Executive Director of JUST FEEL, Patrick Graham, CEO, Manulife Hong Kong and Macau, and Celia Ling, Chief Marketing Officer, Manulife Hong Kong and Macau, who kick off the partnership launch ceremony. The use of a car key symbolizes unlocking the heart, encouraging everyone to embrace their feelings and needs.
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[1] Based on comparisons with other community investment partnerships sponsored by Hong Kong’s major life insurance companies as of February 2025. |
About Manulife Hong Kong:
Manulife Hong Kong has been a trusted name for more than 125 years. Since our operations started in Asia in 1897, we have grown to become one of the top-tier providers of financial services, offering a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to over 2.6 million customers in Hong Kong and Macau. We are committed to helping make decisions easier and lives better for our customers.
Manulife Hong Kong, through Manulife International Holdings Limited, owns Manulife (International) Limited, Manulife Investment Management (Hong Kong) Limited, and Manulife Provident Funds Trust Company Limited. These entities are all subsidiaries of Manulife Financial Corporation.
About Manulife:
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping our customers make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, providing financial advice and insurance for individuals, groups and businesses. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, we offer global investment, financial advice, and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2024, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 109,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 36 million customers. We trade as ‘MFC’ on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under ‘945’ in Hong Kong.
Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.
About JUST FEEL:
JUST FEEL is the first charity to systematically promote Compassionate Communication and Social-Emotional Learning in local schools in Hong Kong. With the motto of “Connection before Solution”, JUST FEEL is dedicated to transforming the communication culture in schools and families, empowering educators and parents to enhance the emotional well-being of children. Since its establishment in 2018, JUST FEEL has partnered with over 40 primary schools, supporting more than 37,300 students, 7,800 teachers, and 51,300 parents. For additional information, please visit https://www.justfeel.hk/.
