A group of area teenagers have found a colorful way to beat boredom this summer.

Over the last two weeks, several Niles High School students have pitched in to transform the alleyway on Second Street into an artistic masterpiece. With paint brushes in hand and desire to see a more beautiful hometown in heart, the group of students have sought to turn the drab brick exterior into a bright display of color and imagination.

The students, led by high school art instructor Peter Helm, chose the alleyway based on the recommendation of the Niles Art Association.

Work began two weeks ago, and is expected to conclude Friday.

The next county over, another group of young artists are leaving their own mark on their hometown of Dowagiac.

Several children have recently began volunteering with the ongoing painting of the Orphan Train mural. Work on the painting, located on the concrete wall beneath the Dowagiac Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue downtown, began in earnest earlier this summer after months of planning.

Lead artist Ruth Andrews, of Cassopolis, and others with the project asked the community for help with the painting process. Many responded to the call for action, including several students.

The project is expected to wrap up later this summer, with the public reveal of the mural taking place in the fall.

We are pleased to see such strong youth involvement in these public art projects.

Many students often choose to disengage intellectually during the summer, leading to the dreaded “brain drain” educators often warn about. With that in mind, it is great to see these children choose to do something besides sit in front a screen all day inside the house.

Not only are these children and teenagers outside doing something, but they are helping to create something beautiful, meaningful and long lasting. One can only imagine the feeling these volunteers will feel after seeing the final work, knowing that they had a hand in making something the entire community can enjoy. These art pieces may even be something they can show their own children one day.

Most importantly, though, it is great to see that a sense of public service remains alive in today’s youth. While sites such as GoFundMe make it easy for teenagers to make a difference from behind a computer screen, it is still rewarding for young people to get their hands dirty and make a tangible impact on their hometowns.

We want to thank the people responsible for giving these students a chance to make a difference as well. It is not every day you see these kinds of public art projects spring up, and it is even more rare for them to have such great community support.

We cannot wait to see the what is in store when the paint finally dries.

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of General Manager Ambrosia Neldon and editors Scott Novak and Ted Yoakum.