KENNEBUNK – The Middle School of the Kennebunks has received national recognition for promoting health and well-being.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation named the school one of America’s Healthiest Schools. This year, the organization recognized 1,376 schools in 35 states and Washington, D.C., for work to support student, staff and family well-being.

“We were fortunate to be the only school in Maine that received the award,” MSK Principal Marty Bouchard said.

MSK was recognized for its efforts in three areas: supporting school health services, enriching health education and promoting tobacco-free schools.

Schools have many ways to teach healthy habits, said Susan Lombardo, the substance use counselor for both MSK and Kennebunk High School. They include promoting tobacco- and substance-free schools, offering health classes and nutrition programs, giving students chances to exercise and get outdoors, and providing support for social and emotional well-being. MSK does all of those things, she said.

Bouchard said the substance focus is an important part of the school’s health education. Although America’s Healthiest Schools recognized the school for promoting a tobacco-free environment, he said the work today centers more on substances in general.

“We do a lot of work around prevention and educating students around the dangers of substances, whether it be electronic vaping or cannabis products,” he said. “We start in sixth grade and it works right up through, and in eighth grade, we do a lot of talk about illicit drugs and drug categories. But, really, it’s about substance-free schools.”

The goal, Bouchard said, is to help students understand they can make better choices than using substances. If a student slips, he said, the school works with that student to get back on track and make healthier choices going forward.

He also wants students to understand the long-term effects of substance use.

“When a kid tries that vape for the first time, they’re never gonna have a sense of how that nicotine over time is so addictive,” he said. “It could really paralyze them, so it goes from something they’re trying to something that they have to have.”

A few years ago, Bouchard and the high school principal, Scott Tombleson, noticed an increase in electronic devices that deliver nicotine or cannabis, such as e-cigarettes and vapes. They asked for and received approval for a full-time substance use counselor to be shared by the middle school and high school.

Lombardo’s first year was the 2025-26 school year. Since then, the school has seen a decrease in the use of electronic devices among students, and administrators are confiscating fewer of them, Bouchard said.

This year, MSK also banned canned and bottled energy drinks for the first time.

Lombardo said it’s important to talk with students about substance use.

“It’s a subject that we know rears its ugly head but we don’t do a lot of talking about,” she said. “Kids generally know they’re not supposed to be doing this. However, the reality is almost every single day we’re confronted with substances that people do use and opportunities and advertisements. So it makes sense to do some talking about this in school systems.”

She said the Regional School Unit 21 administration has welcomed the effort to address substance use in schools. “I can’t say enough about how RSU is taking a positive, proactive,  approach. That’s not always the case,” Lombardo said.

Bouchard said Lisa Janosik, the school’s former health educator, applied for the award last year. Bouchard credits Janosik, who is now retired, with reimagining the health curriculum to make it impactful and engage students.

He also said the school nurse, Amy Murphy, had a big role in making sure students are exposed to healthy habits.

“She follows the best health practices when it comes to supporting students with a healthy school environment,” he said. “She brings kindness in an amazing way.”

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a national non-profit children’s health organization founded in 2005 by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation.

“Every school recognized this year demonstrates what’s possible when we prioritize the well-being of students and staff, creating environments where everyone can thrive,”  Traci Causey, CEO of Healthier Generation, said in a news release.