More than 30 schools across Maine were recognized Thursday for nutrition excellence by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

At a ceremony in Portland, Kevin Concannon, USDA undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, honored 35 schools with HealthierUS School Challenge awards for their commitment to a healthier school environment, according to a press release. Maine has the most HealthierUS schools of all the New England states.

The schools honored provide exceptional nutrition education, nutritious food and beverage choices, physical education and opportunities for exercise, the release stated. Many of the schools worked with the Let’sGo! School Nutrition Initiative, a national childhood obesity prevention program.

The schools recognized were:

Falmouth: Plummer Motz Elementary, D.W. Lunt Elementary

Boothbay: Boothbay Region Elementary, Edgecomb Eddy School

RSU 5 (Freeport): Mast Landing School, Morse Street School

Lakes Region, SAD61: Stevens Brook Elementary, Songo Locks School, Sebago Elementary, Lakes Region Middle School

Portland: East End Community School, Fred P. Hall Elementary, Howard C. Reiche, Longfellow Elementary, Nathan Clifford Elementary, Peaks Island School, Presumpscot Elementary, Riverton Elementary

South Portland: Frank I. Brown Elementary School, Helena Dyer Elementary School, James Otis Kaler Elementary School, Waldo T. Skillin Elementary School, Dora L. Small Elementary School

Westbrook: Prides Corner Elementary School, Saccarappa Elementary School, Canal Elementary School, Congin Elementary School

Yarmouth: William H. Rowe School, Yarmouth Elementary School

RSU.MSAD 51(North Yarmouth): Mabel I. Wilson School, North Yarmouth Memorial School

Scarborough: Blue Point Primary School, Eight Corners Primary School, Pleasant Hill Primary School, Benjamin Wentworth Intermediate School

$700,000 to support school health centers

Two school-based health centers in Maine will receive a total of nearly $700,000 as part of $14 million awarded nationally by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Health Access Network Inc. of Lincoln will receive $500,000 and the city of Portland was awarded $198,629, according to a DHHS press release. School-based health centers help children with acute or chronic illnesses to attend school and promote the health of all students, often through primary and mental health care, nutrition education and other services.

Awarded through the Affordable Care Act, the money was allotted to 45 centers across the country to expand capacity and modernize facilities. School-based health centers will be able to increase the number of children served by 50 percent, to 165,000, as a result of the funds, the release stated.