For 17 minutes on Wednesday, students across America and southwestern Pennsylvania did many different things to mark the one month anniversary of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Some walked around tracks; some stood in silence; some gathered inside their school buildings for demonstrations. Some events were held in view of the public; others were kept private by school districts.

In every case, the 17-minute demonstrations were a somber reminder of the 17 lives lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. A powerful statement by young people in this country, who showed that they are not the naive, superficial, lazy and self-involved straw men that critics often make their generation out to be.

Some school leaders seem to understand this better than others.

Seneca Valley Superintendent Tracy Vitale and her team deserve plaudits for recognizing Wednesday’s walkouts for what they were — a “teachable moment,” in Vitale’s words.

In a letter sent home to parents Monday Vitale explained that the district was working with the students — about 1,000 participated Wednesday — to ensure the protest was “peaceful and respectful.”

Similarly, administrators at Slippery Rock School District, Mars and Karns City districts worked with students to ensure that those who wanted to participate in the demonstrations were able to do so in a safe environment.

In districts like Seneca Valley that meant closing-down campus; in others, like Mars, it meant administrators set up an indoor area to accommodate students who wanted to demonstrate.

In no case were the student demonstrations in Butler County disruptive, violent or disrespectful. That’s more than we can say for many recent protests and demonstrations led by adults in this country.

So yes, Wednesday was indeed a teachable moment — and not just for students.

Those who organized and participated in these events should be commended for taking ownership of an issue — school violence — that is of direct concern to them.

It’s also a great sign for American democracy that our young people are willing to spend time and energy advocating on the issues that affect their lives. You don’t have to agree (or disagree) with the students’ politics to see that.

There is no better way for young people to become more familiar with, and appreciative of, the powers contained in our Bill of Rights than exercising those rights — and that includes the students who chose not to participate on Wednesday.

Wednesday was their moment, and they knocked it out of the park.