Despite the holiday, dozens of students returned to school Monday to explore ways to combat gang violence in their community. NY1's Natasha Ghoneim filed the following report from Queens.

Dozens of students traded a day off from school for a day of reflecting and brainstorming about how to take back their neighborhoods from gangs, which have turned them into battlefields.

“I personally have friends who are in gangs and they really don't have a home life and they're really lonely,” said one student. “They look to the streets to see who they can look up to and just have a family.”

“I believe the main reason one person chooses the positive route and the other person chooses the negative route is involvement, community involvement,” said City Councilman James Sanders. “Growing up I was involved in sports and my mother always kept me active.”

Sanders organized the all-day conference at the Goldie Maple Academy in Arverne, Queens, bringing students together with non-profits like the Brooklyn-based youth group El Puente.

El Puente representative Juan Ramos reminded students that they, not the police, are perhaps the most powerful tool in fighting gang violence.

“If the community builds together, they stay together and it creates an atmosphere where people understand one another,” he said.

Ultimately, these teenagers said they are learning that they can wield influence peer-to-peer.

“Girls are more prone to gang violence now, so Lil’ Sisters of Substance is a group for positive girls to come in and help their community,” said another student. “So it’s like taking girls off the street.”

But Councilman Sanders says the city also needs to step up to fund anti-gang programs.

“These are the killing fields out here and we have to do everything in our power,” Sanders said. “We should not sit silent while our young people die of violence.”

For the students that met Monday, silence and inaction are not options.