Teens from Students Leading Students mentor groups will gather on March 14-15, 2026, for workshops and team building to strengthen their leadership skills and prevention efforts among peers.

By Stacey Winconek

Student leaders from across the state of Michigan will come together for a weekend of connection, empowerment and real conversation about the issues teens face during the 2026 SLS Conference, which takes place March 14-15, 2026, at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire. 18 schools and 150 students are expected to attend.

What makes the annual SLS conference unique is that it’s planned entirely by an advisory board of high school students. The conference is built around the issues that matter most to teens — and it inspires real change in schools.

“The SLS Student Advisory Board (SAB) was established in 1986. We train each passionate group of emerging leaders to lead and teach their peers and younger students,” says Dawn Flood, the executive director of Student Leadership Services. “They work with our team and member schools to promote youth involvement, networking and stakeholder partnerships.”

For the Jamie Daniels Foundation, programs like Student Leadership Services are part of a larger prevention strategy. Research consistently shows that young people are more influenced by peers than adults, making student-led leadership and connection a powerful way to reduce risk behaviors before they start.

This year’s 40th annual board includes Marvin Mills, a junior at Marion Junior Senior High School; A’niyah Daniels and Zacur Harrell, both seniors at Clarenceville High School in Livonia; Myah Randolph a junior at Brighton High School; and Kaley Long, a sophomore at Taylor High School, which is one of the mentor groups funded by the Jamie Daniels Foundation.

The Jamie Daniels Foundation has partnered with SLS to fund peer-led prevention programs at five high schools. These five high schools will then recruit and train five more high schools to start their own SLS programs, expanding the Jamie Daniels Foundation’s prevention efforts throughout the state of Michigan.

“These five students plan the whole thing — from the theme to the menu to the speakers to the workshops” Flood says. “They’ve been working hard on it since June.”

The conference will cover topics such as bullying and mental health, promoting inclusivity, coping mechanisms and leadership. During the weekend, student leaders get an opportunity to share their own SLS group’s experiences and get insight and advice from their peers.

It’s a safe space for the students to share ideas on what makes their groups successful and talk about issues such as bullying, mental health, substance use disorder, and more.

“This conference is one of my favorite things I’ve ever done,” Zacur says. “At conference, you can just be yourself. You don’t have to change who you are.”

It also gives students a chance to grow, gain confidence and find their voice — something that will benefit them into adulthood.  

“Conference was a big eye opener for me, especially when it comes to being able to speak to people,” Myah says. “Conference was the first time I felt like I could be loud and expressive without being judged.”

Each attending group creates an action plan during the weekend, then presents their ideas on stage for a chance to win funding to implement projects at their school.

Even if their school doesn’t win funding, students leave the conference equipped with the tools needed to increase student engagement with SLS, make changes, or try new prevention initiatives.

Tackling the real issues at school

Beyond the conference, these student leaders are making an impact in their own schools through peer-led SLS groups.

At Clarenceville High School, students focus heavily on vaping awareness and mental health support. Their chapter has helped advocate for vape detectors in bathrooms — and are considering getting vape boxes at the school, too — positive messaging campaigns, and Red Ribbon Week events to boost student involvement.

“We want people to know we see them and we care,” A’niyah says. 

Other schools are addressing similar challenges, from bullying to suicide prevention, while also creating stronger cultures of inclusion.

“Bullying is real. It’s happening now,” Marvin says. “And we need to talk about it.”

At Marian Junior Senior High School, inclusivity is the focus, and through the push of SLS, different social groups have merged, becoming friends.

“We focus on inclusiveness, to draw students together. We do spirit weeks and dress-up days,” to bring students from different groups together.

When students feel connected to their school community and supported by peers, they are less likely to engage in harmful coping behaviors. Programs like SLS focus on belonging, communication, and healthy coping skills — all key protective factors shown to reduce substance use risk among teens.

At Taylor High School, sophomore Kaley describes creative ways students are providing outlets for stress, including a lunchtime event where students can safely smash pottery on the concrete outside to release anger.

“We’re able to make our own decisions,” Kaley says of her SLS group. “We don’t have someone making them constantly for us. We actually have a choice in what does or doesn’t happen.”

Through opportunities like the SLS Conference and the ongoing work of peer-led mentor groups, these students are proving that prevention starts with connection, conversation, and youth-driven leadership.

Through opportunities like the SLS Conference and ongoing peer-led mentor groups, students are learning how to support one another before challenges escalate into crisis. With support from the Jamie Daniels Foundation, these young leaders are helping create school environments where prevention happens every day — through connection, conversation, and community.