(KAIR)--Students at Atchison's Maur Hill-Mount Academy were not among others from the local area who took part in Wednesday's nationwide 17 minute school walkout, timed with the anniversary of last month's Florida school shooting.

Instead, the private Catholic High School held a 17-minute prayer service for all 17 victims of the shooting.

According to a post on the Maur Hill-Mount Academy Facebook page, the idea for the prayer service was presented by Sophomore Ellie Todd-Nichol.

The post says that along with the students killed February 13, prayers were offered for their families, as well as for healing and positive change for the country.

The Associated Press reports the coordinated walkouts were organized by Empower, the youth wing of the Women's March, which brought thousands to Washington last year. It offered the students a list of demands for lawmakers, including a ban on assault weapons and mandatory background checks for all gun sales.