Sixty-nine Long Island school districts have been named Best Communities for Music Education.

The districts are among 935 nationwide to receive the designation for their commitment and access to music education by the NAMM Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports music education and participation in music-making. The award recognizes efforts to “make music education part of a well-rounded education,” the foundation said.

“These districts and schools demonstrate that access to music learning helps students thrive, in school and in life, and we celebrate their dedication to creating inclusive learning environments,” Julia Rubio, the foundation’s executive director, said in a statement.

Long Island’s designated districts: Amityville; Baldwin; Bay Shore; Bayport-Blue Point; Bellmore; Bellmore-Merrick; Bethpage; Carle Place; Central Islip; Cold Spring Harbor; Commack; Comsewogue in Port Jefferson Station; Connetquot in Bohemia; Deer Park; East Hampton; East Meadow; East Moriches; East Rockaway; East Williston; Farmingdale; Franklin Square; Freeport; Garden City; Glen Cove; Great Neck; Half Hollow Hills in Dix Hills; Hampton Bays; Harborfields in Greenlawn; Hempstead; Herrick; Hewlett-Woodmere; Hicksville; Huntington; Island Trees in Levittown; Jericho; Lawrence; Levittown; Lindenhurst; Locust Valley; Long Beach; Longwood in Middle Island; Lynbrook; Merrick; Miller Place; Mineola; North Babylon; North Shore in Sea Cliff; Northport-East Northport; Oceanside; Oyster Bay-East Norwich; Plainedge in North Massapequa; Plainview-Old Bethpage; Port Jefferson; Port Washington; Riverhead; Rockville Centre; Rocky Point; Sayville; Seaford; Shoreham-Wading River; Smithtown; South Country in Bellport; South Huntington; Southampton, Syosset; Uniondale; Valley Stream 13; Valley Stream Central and William Floyd in Mastic Beach.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the music educators within our district,” said Lynn Fusco, Freeport’s director of arts and community relations. “Year after year they continue to raise the bar and bring out the best in our students.”

Teams from Garden City High School and Smithtown High School West were named the Nassau and Suffolk county winners, respectively, of this year’s Long Island Regional Envirothon. The annual competition, which was held at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts in Wheatley Heights, challenged participants to complete multiple-choice exams in the fields of aquatics, forestry, soil and wildlife and deliver five-minute oral presentations on a current issue, according to competition officials.

This year’s event, which had a theme of “Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change,” drew over 150 students from 14 local schools, competition officials said.

For winning, each team member received a $500 scholarship.

Amin Nasari, of Hicksville High School, and Erika Kawakami, of Jericho High School, placed second and third, respectively, in the 20th Annual Essay Competition coordinated by Stony Brook University’s Japan Center. The competition, which was sponsored by Canon U.S.A., challenged participants to discuss aspects of Japan “in relation to their personal experiences, views and future goals,” according to competition officials.

Nasari’s essay was titled “Between Water and Stone: A Journey of Ritual and Reflection,” while Kawakami’s essay was titled “Echoes of Hibakusha.” First place went to a student from Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut.

This year’s competition received 221 submissions, according to Canon U.S.A.

Teams from Central Islip High School, Smithtown High School West, The Stony Brook School and William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach have been named winners of this year’s Long Island Water Quality Challenge coordinated by the Long Island Regional Planning Council.

Their projects addressed ways to “reduce nitrogen pollution from stormwater runoff on school grounds,” according to competition officials. Central Islip’s project, for example, proposed using bioswales (trenches filled with organic matter) in the school’s parking lot to “filter pollutants carried by rainwater,” competition officials said.

For winning, the schools have the option to receive a grant of up to $2,500 to implement their projects.