Award-winning Chill Lab youth mental health program impacted 146,000+ lives in two years with latest We Can student-led projects benefiting 17,000+ people
- Written by Media Outreach
- Chill Lab has positively impacted 146,161 people across Hong Kong
- 187 secondary schools were engaged via augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) sessions, creative workshops and capacity building for students, teachers and parents
- The latest student-led "We Can" program trained 40 youth leaders who delivered 17 projects benefiting 17,005 members of the public
- Z Zurich Foundation youth mental wellbeing white paper urges school‑based youth interventions, where Chill Lab's innovative youth‑led model aptly aligns its themes
Tulsi Naidu, CEO Asia Pacific, Zurich Insurance (right three), Eric Hui, CEO, Zurich Insurance (Greater China) (left four), and Sofyen Khalfaoui, Head of Improving Mental Wellbeing, Z Zurich Foundation (right two), visited the Chill Lab’s youth hub with and Stephen Wong, Deputy Director, MHAHK (left three).
Deep youth impact in just two years Over the past two years, Chill Lab has positively impacted 146,161 lives, by engaging 187 secondary schools —covering more than 30% of Hong Kong's secondary schools. The program engaged youths via innovative activities such as AR/VR experiential sessions, creative art workshops, social media campaigns and large-scale community events. Capacity-building initiatives were organized to train 200 youth ambassadors, teachers, and parents, who further reached 4,620 people through school and community activities. The program's innovation and impact have been recognized with the Platinum Award for Excellence in Health & Mental Health at the "Champions for Good Awards 2025" and the Excellence in Innovation Award from the Dr. Lo Wai Hoi Memorial Fund. Eric Hui, Chief Executive Officer of Zurich Insurance (Greater China), said, "Chill Lab demonstrates the power of prevention, creativity and youth leadership in strengthening mental resilience across Hong Kong. We are proud to support this program alongside the Z Zurich Foundation and to see the measurable difference it has made. Our support is driven by a belief that promotion and prevention activities, and youth leadership can help build a healthier future for the next generation that aligns perfectly well with our brand purpose of creating a brighter future together." 
Over the past two years, Chill Lab has positively impacted 146,161 lives, by engaging 187 secondary schools.
Youth-led transformation in schools and communities The "We Can – Youth Pioneer Program" emerged as Chill Lab's signature youth-led success this year. The program trained 40 secondary students from five schools in project design, public engagement and advocacy. Equipped with practical skills and mentorship, these young leaders designed and delivered 17 projects across schools and communities, directly benefiting 17,005 members of the public. Activities ranged from interactive booths and peer support campaigns to creative workshops encouraging emotional expression and empathy. Post-program evaluation showed strong gains among participants: problem-solving ("always considering multiple solutions") increased from 60% to 93%, and over 95% reported greater willingness to care for their own and others' mental health. School leaders praised the program's practical training and student ownership while students described increased empathy, improved listening skills and a deeper understanding that emotional wellbeing is a life skill for everyone. The program culminated in an award ceremony during the summer holidays that celebrated outstanding proposals, creativity and impact across participating schools. Mr. Stephen Wong, Deputy Director, MHAHK, added, "Students are the future pillars of our society, and their creativity drives meaningful change. We are proud to launch 'We Can' as a model that empowers young people to lead mental health initiatives in their schools and communities. We hope more schools will adopt this youth-led approach and help create mental health friendly campuses across Hong Kong. We are also grateful to have mentors and judge from Zurich Hong Kong who provided valuable advice to the students" 
The “We Can” program culminated in an award ceremony during the summer holidays that celebrated outstanding proposals, creativity and impact across participating schools.
Whitepaper insights brought to action Recently, the Z Zurich Foundation has released a compelling white paper "Youth mental wellbeing in Asia-Pacific Region", highlighting the critical need to support the...