It pleased us to read News staff writer Temi Fadayomi’s recent report on Students Leading Students chapters in Alpena, Alcona, Hillman, and Posen school districts.

Students Leading Students has chapters all across Michigan. Through the group, high schoolers organize events and other campaigns to engage their classmates on important issues such as substance abuse.

In Posen, for example, Students Leading Students organized a Red Ribbon Week that included activities such as scavenger hunts to raise awareness about the importance of staying off drugs and, at Christmas, the group raised an “awareness tree” that allowed students to show solidarity with those facing cancer and other diseases.

We’re always glad to see students stepping up into leadership roles, for a couple of reasons.

First, it’s cliche but true: Children are our future. One day, they’ll step into the roles currently occupied by us adults, and they’ll serve those roles better when they can bring along previous experience in leadership.

Secondly, our students know more than we sometimes give them credit for, including knowing some of the best ways to reach their peers. Giving them the opportunity to use their own voice to reach out to their classmates can often be more effective than we adults trying to preach to youngsters.

So we say kudos to the local Students Leading Students chapters for their good work improving their schools and their classmates’ lives.

And we say thanks to school administrators for giving those students room to lead.